Russian President Vladimir Putin says he reached “understandings” with US President Donald Trump over the tip of the Ukraine battle, at their assembly in Alaska final month.
However he didn’t say whether or not he would comply with peace talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky brokered by Trump, who had apparently given Monday as a deadline for Putin’s response.
Talking throughout a summit in China, Putin continued to defend his choice to invade Ukraine, as soon as once more blaming the battle on the West.
Following the Alaska assembly, US particular envoy Steve Witkoff mentioned Putin had agreed to safety ensures for Ukraine as a part of a possible future peace deal, although Moscow has but to verify this.
Putin was talking in Tianjin on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, the place he met Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi.
He thanked the Chinese language and Indian leaders for his or her assist and their efforts to “facilitate the decision of the Ukrainian disaster”.
China and India are the largest patrons of Russian crude oil, attracting criticism from the West that they’re propping up the Russian economic system which has been battered by the battle effort.
In his speech, Putin additionally mentioned that the “understandings reached” at his assembly with Trump in Alaska are “I hope, transferring on this course, opening the best way to peace in Ukraine”.
On the similar time, he reiterated his view that “this disaster wasn’t triggered by Russia’s assault on Ukraine, however was a results of a coup in Ukraine, which was supported and provoked by the West”.
He additionally attributed the battle to “the West’s fixed makes an attempt to tug Ukraine into Nato”.
The Russian president has constantly opposed the thought of Ukraine becoming a member of the Western army alliance.
It was in 2014 that Putin seized Crimea and Russian proxies grabbed a part of japanese Ukraine. Years later, in February 2022, Putin then ordered Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Putin’s feedback come days after Russia launched its second greatest aerial assault on Ukraine within the battle.
On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned that Putin confronted a Monday deadline set by Trump to comply with peace talks with Zelensky.
If the Russian chief doesn’t agree, “it should present once more President Putin has performed President Trump”, mentioned Macron.
However in an interview with CNN, on 22 August, Trump himself once more gave Putin “a few weeks” to offer a response earlier than the US takes motion, within the newest of a collection of ultimatums and deadlines he has issued to the Russian chief.
Trump had beforehand mentioned he might clear up the Ukraine battle in sooner or later.
Following his assembly with Putin final month, Trump dropped a requirement for a ceasefire and known as as a substitute for a everlasting peace deal.
He additionally met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky together with prime European leaders who paid an pressing go to to Washington DC.
Trump insisted there can be “no going into Nato by Ukraine” as a part of a peace deal.
However he additionally hinted there can be safety ensures, saying Europe was the “first line of defence” and that the US can be concerned.
“We’ll give them good safety,” he mentioned, although he clarified it could not imply sending US troops to Ukraine.
The president’s particular envoy Steve Witkoff additionally informed CNN that Putin had agreed to safety ensures.
He mentioned this may see the US and Europe “successfully supply Article 5-like language to cowl a safety assure”, referring to the Nato clause which states that member states ought to defend one other member that has come beneath assault.
Zelensky mentioned he anticipated a framework for safety ensures to be set out on paper as quickly as this week.
However final Friday Russia criticised Western proposals as “one-sided and clearly designed to include Russia”, including that it turned Kyiv right into a “strategic provocateur”.
Russian assaults have additionally continued. Final Thursday Moscow fired 629 drones and missiles at Kyiv, killing 23 folks in one of many greatest aerial assaults of the battle to date that prompted outrage from European leaders.
Germany and France have since pledged to place strain on Russia to comply with a deal.
In the meantime, Zelensky has rejected proposals for a buffer zone with Russia as a part of a peace deal.
He has accused Russia of not being prepared for diplomacy and searching for methods to postpone the tip of the battle.
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