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Putin insists he ‘does not want war’ but accuses Ukraine of ‘genocide’
The Metro reported, Vladimir Putin has insisted he does not want war in Europe but said Ukraine is responsible for ‘genocide’ in the east of the country.
The Russian president confirmed a decision had been taken to move some forces away from border, a move which has raised hopes of a deescalation.
But he ratcheted up the rhetoric on areas in eastern Ukraine which are held by pro-Moscow forces.
The mixed comments keep the world guessing about whether or not he intends to invade: on the one hand, he suggested there is still room for constructive talks; on the other, he accused Kyiv of human rights abuses against its Russian-speaking population in the Donbas region.
Mr Putin was urged to adopt the breakaway republics in Lukansk and Donetsk by his parliament today, which have been at war with Ukraine since 2014.
Путин — о заявлении Шольца, что люди его поколения не представляют себе войну в Европе: «Мы с вами были свидетелями войны в Европе, развязанной как раз блоком НАТО против Югославии. Крупная военная операция с нанесением ракетно-бомбовых ударов по одной из европейских столиц — по Белграду. Это же было. Без санкций СБ ООН. Это очень плохой пример, но он был. Хотим мы этого или нет? Конечно, нет. Именно поэтому мы выдвинули предложения о переговорном процессе, результатом которого должна быть договорённость об обеспечении равной безопасности всех, включая нашу страну. К сожалению, конструктивного ответа на наши предложения мы не получили».
Posted by Владимир Путин on Tuesday, February 15, 2022
The Russian president did not rule out officially recognising them as Russian territory, a move which would effectively end the frozen peace process for good, while simultaneously calling for talks to continue on resolving the situation diplomatically.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following Ukraine’s pro-Europe revolution, a move which was condemned by the West but did not result in a military response.
Boris Johnson: There is still time for President Putin to step back from Ukraine crisis
Mr Putin’s comments raise the prospect of similar military action in the Donbas region, despite his insistence that he wants to continue peaceful discussions with the West.
The Russian president detailed the gulf that still remains between Russia and the West on renegotiating defence arrangements on the continent.
He said the military alliance is ‘right on our doorstep’ and reiterated calls for a return to pre-1997 Nato deployments in Europe and for Ukraine to be permanently blocked from joining.
Mr Putin signalled a willingness to begin formal negotiations on bilaterally scaling back the presence of long-range missiles, transparency around military drills and other ‘confidence-building measures’.
Putin meets Macron to discuss Ukraine and European security
But he made it clear this was dependent on the West addressing his core concerns on Nato enlargement, which have already been rejected out of hand by Washington and allies.
The Russian president was speaking alongside German chancellor Olaf Scholz after talks between the pair.
Relations between Munich and Moscow are central to the European response to the Ukraine crisis given Germany’s reliance on Russian gas imports.
Mr Scholz struck a positive tone and concurred with messaging from Boris Johnson and Joe Biden that the window for a peace resolution is still open.
German Chancellor heads to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin
He said: ‘It was right that NATO and the European Union responded to the letters from Russia, and while Russia does not agree with the response, it is a good sign that it says there are a few good points in it.
‘Likewise, NATO, the EU, and we do not agree with the demands of Russia, but we believe there are some points in there that are worth discussing.’
Source: metro
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Amid growing anxiety among several European countries participating in NATO over Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stated he looks forward to sitting down with Trump.
Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.
Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.
On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.
It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.
Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.
Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
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