President Vladimir Putin has mentioned he is able to assure in writing that Russia is not going to assault one other European nation, as he dismissed claims that Moscow intends to invade one other nation as a “lie” and “full nonsense”.
Talking on Thursday in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek – the place he attended a summit of the Collective Safety Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Russia-led army alliance that features some former Soviet republics – Putin branded claims Moscow is planning to assault Europe as “ridiculous”.
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“The reality is, we by no means meant to try this. But when they need to hear it from us, properly, then we’ll doc it. No query,” the Russian president instructed reporters.
Putin’s denials that Moscow is planning one other invasion have been met with scepticism from European leaders, who level to the truth that he repeatedly denied Russia would invade Ukraine earlier than doing so in February 2022.
Responding to questions on efforts to finish the battle in Ukraine, Putin expressed optimism a couple of draft United States-backed peace plan, saying it might function the “foundation for future agreements”.
Whereas Putin mentioned Russia is prepared for a “severe” dialogue to finish the battle, he additionally warned that Moscow was ready to battle on if essential and take over extra of Ukraine.
A fundamental prerequisite to finish the preventing, he reiterated, was that Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donetsk and Luhansk in jap Ukraine’s Donbas area, together with leaving areas that Russian troops don’t at the moment management.
“Ukrainian troops should withdraw from the territories they at the moment maintain – then the preventing will cease. If they don’t pull again, we’ll obtain this by army means,” he mentioned.
Ukraine has mentioned that such a withdrawal would depart the best way open for a Russian assault on its capital, Kyiv.
‘The president has misplaced his reputable standing’
Putin additionally steered that he was open to a negotiated settlement with Kyiv, however as soon as once more branded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s authorities illegitimate, including that it was “legally inconceivable” to signal any agreements with them.
“Broadly talking, in fact, we finally need to attain an settlement with Ukraine. However proper now, that is virtually inconceivable,” Putin mentioned, repeating earlier unfounded claims that Kyiv had misplaced the suitable to control after failing to carry elections when Zelenskyy’s presidential time period expired in Might 2024.
“The Ukrainian management made a basic strategic mistake when it feared presidential elections, as a result of since then, the president has misplaced his reputable standing,” Putin added.
Kyiv has maintained it couldn’t maintain elections whereas below martial regulation and defending its territory in opposition to Russian assaults. In February, lawmakers in Ukraine’s parliament overwhelmingly authorized a decision affirming Zelenskyy’s legitimacy to remain in workplace.
Putin additionally claimed that, as a result of Zelenskyy authorities’s purported illegitimacy, any peace deal have to be recognised by the worldwide neighborhood, and that the worldwide neighborhood should additionally recognise Russian features in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian president’s chief of employees, Andriy Yermak, reiterated on Thursday that Zelenskyy “is not going to signal away territory”.
“So long as Zelenskyy is president, nobody ought to depend on us giving up territory,” Yermak instructed US journal The Atlantic.
Final week, the US revealed a 28-point peace plan for Ukraine that was broadly seen as extraordinarily beneficial to Russia. It known as for Kyiv to make main concessions, together with ceding territory and abandoning its NATO ambitions.
The plan has since been altered with Ukrainian enter, Ukrainian First Deputy International Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya mentioned, nixing a 600,000-member cap on Ukraine’s military and a common battle crimes amnesty.
On Thursday, Zelenskyy mentioned Ukrainian delegations are set to satisfy with Washington officers to work out a components mentioned at earlier talks in Geneva to carry peace and supply safety ensures for Kyiv.
He added, with out offering particulars, that there could be additional talks subsequent week.
US representatives, together with Trump’s particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, are additionally set to journey to Moscow subsequent week to proceed discussions on key points, together with safety ensures for Ukraine and Europe.
Putin mentioned his delegation intends to boost its personal “key challenge” with the US delegation, particularly a passage within the peace plan stating that Washington solely intends to recognise Russia’s de facto management over Crimea and different Ukrainian territory, which Moscow claims as its personal.
“That’s exactly what our talks with the American facet can be about,” Putin mentioned.
