Putin says Russia prepared to carry talks on the way forward for Ukraine | EUROtoday

Issued on: 19/12/2023 – 15:52

2 min

Putin, who despatched troops into Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly stated he could be ready to speak about peace, although Western officers say he’s ready for the U.S. presidential election in November earlier than making a real effort.

“In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States – do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests,” Putin instructed a gathering of the defence management in Moscow.

“We will not give up what is ours,” Putin stated, including that Russia didn’t intend to struggle with Europe.

Russia controls about 17.5% of the territory that was internationally recognised as a part of Ukraine when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and final yr stated the 4 further areas of Ukraine that its troops partially management are a part of Russia. Kyiv says it won’t relaxation till each final Russian soldier is ejected from Ukraine.

Russia at battle

Putin spoke at a gathering of the defence ministry which was attended by the army high brass, together with Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the final workers, in addition to Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov.

Russian troops, Putin stated, now had the initiative on the battlefield.

“We are not going to abandon the goals of the special military operation,” Putin stated, although he added that Russia wanted higher army communication, reconnaissance, focusing on and satellite tv for pc functionality.

He stated Russia’s defence business was responding sooner than that of the West and stated Russia would proceed to improve its nuclear forces and hold its fight readiness at a excessive degree.

Russia’s manufacturing of tanks has elevated since February 2022 by 5.6 occasions, unmanned aerial autos by 16.8 occasions and artillery shells by 17.5 occasions, Shoigu stated.

He stated Russia had taken on 490,000 contract and voluntary troopers in 2023. Next yr, Russia will attempt to increase that contracted drive to 745,000 males.

Russian forces have laid 7,000 sq km of minefields in Ukraine – some as much as 600 metres large, together with 1.5 million anti-tank limitations and a couple of,000 km of anti-tank ditches, Shoigu stated.

Putin stated Ukrainian membership of NATO “is not acceptable for Russia in 10 years, and not in 20”.

(Reuters)