Putin threatens new offensive in Ukraine while teasing peace talks – National | 24CA News
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday alternated threats of a brand new Russian offensive to seize extra Ukrainian land with statements concerning the Kremlin’s readiness for peace talks.
Speaking throughout a far-ranging assembly with Russian navy correspondents and battle bloggers, he made a few of the most intensive feedback concerning the battle and his objectives since sending the troops into Ukraine greater than 15 months in the past.
Here is a fast take a look at a few of Putin’s key statements:
Ukrainian counteroffensive
Putin asserted that Ukraine has suffered “catastrophic” losses in its counteroffensive.
He stated Ukrainian troops amassed reserves to launch the “large-scale” operation on June 4, however he claimed that the trouble has failed to attain good points and that Ukraine has misplaced 10 instances extra troopers than Russia. His claims couldn’t be verified.
Putin declared that Ukraine misplaced 160 battle tanks and over 300 different armored automobiles, whereas Russia solely misplaced 54 tanks. He alleged that the Ukrainian armor losses represented 25% to 30% of the variety of Western armored automobiles equipped to Ukraine.
He famous with a smirk that German-made Leopard battle tanks and U.S.-made Bradley infantry preventing automobiles “are burning really well,” including that leaders in Kyiv should now understand the disastrous penalties of the counteroffensive.
Putin stated Moscow might reply to alleged Ukrainian incursions and shelling of Russia’s border areas by carving out what he described as a “sanitary zone” to stop Kyiv from launching such assaults.
The zone would lengthen “to a depth that would prevent it from striking our territory,” he added.
Asked how deep into Ukraine Russia might go, Putin responded coyly, saying that “everything will depend on potentials that emerge after the so-called counteroffensive.”
“We will look at the situation and decide on our next moves,” he stated. “We have various plans depending on the situation.”
He talked about that Russian troops “already were near Kyiv,” a reference to a botched try by the Kremlin to seize the Ukrainian capital within the opening weeks of the battle.
Russian troops retreated from areas round Kyiv and different areas in Ukraine’s northeast in March 2022, and within the fall they swiftly pulled out from broad swaths of the Kharkiv area beneath the brunt of a swift Ukrainian counteroffensive.
“Should we come back there or not?” Putin stated, including cryptically: “Only I could give an answer.”
The Kakhovka dam destruction
Putin once more blamed Ukraine for the destruction of the Kakhovka dam that brought about a catastrophic flooding, saying that Ukrainian forces had repeatedly shelled the dam with HIMARS rockets after which apparently used explosives to destroy it.
He argued that Russia had no cause to destroy the dam. “We are certainly not interested in that because it has entailed grave consequences for the territories we control,” he stated.
Putin dismissed the Ukrainian argument that Moscow blew up the dam to thwart Kyiv’s counteroffensive, saying that Russia would have been completely satisfied to see Ukraine attempt to launch an assault in that sector due to daunting odds.
The Russian chief stated ending the hostilities in Ukraine is dependent upon the United States. He argued that the preventing would finish instantly if the U.S. and NATO cease offering Ukraine with weapons.
“If they want to see a negotiated solution to the conflict, it’s enough for them to stop weapons supplies,” he stated.
Putin stated Russian and Ukrainian negotiators drafted a peace settlement in March 2022, however Kyiv spiked the deal beneath Western strain. He stated Russia continues to be open to resuming talks.
He stated the U.S. desires to see Russia defeated and was pinning its hopes on the Ukrainian counteroffensive. At the identical time, Putin argued that within the U.S. administration “there are many reasonable people who don’t want to take it all the way to World War III in which there will be no winners.”
Putin, who ordered the mobilization of 300,000 reservists final fall as Russia confronted a Ukrainian counteroffensive, wouldn’t rule out a brand new wave of mobilization, saying it should rely on the evolving navy scenario.
He emphasised, nevertheless, that there isn’t a want for it now. Putin famous that the navy has recruited 156,000 volunteer troopers thus far this 12 months, making it pointless to spherical up further reservists.
He additionally famous that he sees no want for the introduction of martial regulation that has been advised by some Russian hawks.
Putin identified that Russia’s navy industries have sharply ramped up manufacturing. He stated the output of Russian protection industries has elevated 2.7 instances up to now 12 months, and in some key sectors it has elevated tenfold.
Putin stated Moscow was contemplating ending its participation within the deal to permit exports of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports.
Putin charged that Western international locations have failed to meet their guarantees to facilitate exports of Russian agricultural merchandise by eradicating restrictions on transport, insurance coverage and banking operations that have been a part of the settlement brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022.
He claimed that Ukraine additionally has used the ocean hall created beneath the deal for industrial ships to launch drones to assault Russian navy ships.
Putin argued that Russia signed the deal and prolonged it a number of instances for the sake of serving to a few of the world’s poorest international locations.
If Moscow decides to choose out of the settlement, he famous, it might freely provide these international locations with the identical quantity of grain that may have been delivered by Ukraine beneath the deal. He stated he deliberate to debate the plans with leaders of a number of African international locations who’re set to go to the Russian capital quickly.
© 2023 The Canadian Press
