World

Putin says Ukraine will only initiate peace talks when it runs out of resources

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Ukraine would probably only initiate peace talks when it runs out of resources and would use any truce achieved to restock its weapons cache from supplies by its Western allies.

Putin claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive failed to achieve results and that Kyiv has lost 71,500 personnel since the launch of the counteroffensive, according to state news agency TASS. He added that Kyiv lost 543 tanks and almost 18,000 armored vehicles of various classes.

“Ukraine is conducting a so-called counter-offensive. There are no results, of course. Now we won’t say – failure, not failure, no results, there are losses. Large ones. Since the beginning of this counter-offensive, there have been 71.5 thousand personnel losses,” he said at an economic forum.

Putin said the Ukrainians wanted to “bite off as much as possible” in terms of territory and are being pushed to do so by their Western allies.

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

“And then, when all resources – human resources, equipment, ammunition – are close to zero, achieve a stop in hostilities, saying ‘well, we have been saying for a long time that we want negotiations’ and [they] start these negotiations in order to replenish [their] resources and restore the combat effectiveness of [their] armed force,” he added.

The Russian President said many parties, in an effort to end the conflict, asked him if Russia was prepared to stop fighting; however, he stressed that Moscow could not stop fighting as long as it faced the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

He emphasized that for Russia to partake in any peace talks, Ukraine had to cancel its ban on any talks with Russia. “And declare that they are ready for this. That’s all! And then we’ll see,” Putin said.

Ukraine’s ‘army of drones’ hits 200 Russian military equipment in one week

Russia recalibrates posture of air defenses around Moscow to repel drone attacks: UK

Putin says Russia developing weapons based on ‘new physical principles’