In comments at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that Ukraine would eventually seek peace talks when it realises it’s running out of resources.
Putin also said the counteroffensive in Ukraine has “no results” and highlighted that Kyiv is sustaining “heavy casualties.”
“I have the impression that they want to bite off as much as they can and then, when their resources are close to zero, to achieve a cessation of hostilities and start negotiations in order to replenish their resources and restore combat capability.”
Vladimir Putin
Putin divulged that many potential mediators had asked him if Russia was ready to stop fighting, but he said that Russia could hardly stop fighting when it was facing a Ukrainian counteroffensive.
According to Putin, for there to be any chance of peace negotiations, Ukraine would first have to annul its self-imposed legal ban on peace talks and explain what it wanted.
Putin added that the supply of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine will not change the war and will instead “drag out the conflict.”
He accused British secret services of being involved in training Ukrainian saboteurs to launch attacks on Russian infrastructure.
He said the deployment of cluster munitions and armaments that utilise depleted uranium by Ukrainian forces is a crime.
In response to a question about whether Russia needed to introduce a new compulsory mobilisation to boost its military effort in Ukraine, Putin stated that 1,000 to 1,500 Russians have been signing voluntary contracts to join the military every day.
Over the past six or seven months, 270,000 people have signed voluntary contracts, Putin said.
The figure quoted by Putin is slightly lower than the 280,000 that Dmitry Medvedev stated earlier this month.
Putin Claims Trump’s Cases Show Rottenness Of U.S System
As part of the Q&A session at the eastern economic forum in Vladivostok, Vladimir Putin was asked specifically about the legal problems that former U.S President, Donald Trump is facing.
The former U.S President is facing multiple charges over his alleged mishandling of classified documents and attempts to subvert the electoral process.
Putin emphasized that the criminal cases against Trump are political revenge that show the fundamental corruption of the United States.
“As for the prosecution of Trump, for us what is happening in today’s conditions, in my opinion, is good because it shows the rottenness of the American political system, which cannot pretend to teach others democracy.
“Everything that is happening with Trump is the persecution of a political rival for political reasons. That’s what it is. And this is being done in front of the public of the United States and the whole world.”
Vladimir Putin
However, the Russian leader said that his country’s poor relations with the United States were unlikely to change significantly regardless of who becomes President.
“What to expect from the future, no matter who the President is, it’s hard for us to say, but it’s unlikely that anything will change radically,” Putin said.
He claimed the Biden administration has instilled a strong bias against Russia and altering that will be difficult.
“Current authorities have directed American society in an anti-Russian spirit. They’ve done it and now somehow turning this ship in the other direction will be very difficult.”
Vladimir Putin
Putin also commented on Trump’s claim to resolve the conflict in Ukraine in a matter of days, if he regains the presidency.
“We hear that Mr. Trump says that he will solve pressing problems in a few days, including the Ukrainian crisis. Well, this cannot but bring happiness. This is good,” Putin said.
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