Putin ally says Ukraine war could last for decades - RIA agency

Russia's Deputy head of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev speaks during a news conference in Vientiane, Laos, May 23, 2023. Sputnik/Yekaterina Shtukina/Pool via REUTERS

(Reuters) - A top ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Ukraine war could last for decades, with long periods of fighting interspersed by truces, Russia's RIA news agency reported on Thursday.

It said former President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Putin's powerful security council, had spoken during a visit to Vietnam. Medvedev often makes hard line comments and last month described Ukrainian authorities as an infection.