Putin says Russia ready to talk on Ukraine, with US, EU, but will defend its national interests, during defence meeting

Putin said he was open to negotiations about the future of Ukraine, but he would do what was in his country’s best interests
The Russian leader’s comments came during a meeting of the country’s defence leadership in Moscow

Russia

Reuters

Published: 10:32pm, 19 Dec 2023

Why you can trust SCMP

President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia would be prepared to talk to Ukraine, the United States and Europe about the future of Kyiv if the parties wanted to, but that Moscow would defend its national interests.

Putin, who sent troops into Ukraine in 2022, has repeatedly said he would be prepared to talk about peace, though Western officials say he is waiting for the US presidential election in November before making a genuine effort.

“In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States – do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests,” Putin told a meeting of the defence leadership in Moscow.

US intel assesses Ukraine war has cost Russia 315,000 casualties

“We will not give up what is ours,” Putin said, adding that Russia did not intend to fight with Europe.

Russia controls about 17.5 per cent of the territory that was internationally recognised as part of Ukraine when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and last year said the four additional regions of Ukraine that its troops partially control are part of Russia. Kyiv says it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected from Ukraine.

Russia at war

Putin spoke at a meeting of the defence ministry which was attended by the military top brass, including Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, as well as Federal Security Service (FSB) Director Alexander Bortnikov.

Russian troops, Putin said, now had the initiative on the battlefield.

“We are not going to abandon the goals of the special military operation,” Putin said, though he added that Russia needed better military communication, reconnaissance, targeting and satellite capability.

‘Culture of dishonest reporting’ means Russia unaware of Ukraine death toll: UK

He said Russia’s defence industry was responding faster than the West, and Russia would continue to upgrade its nuclear forces and keep its combat readiness at a high level.

Russia’s production of tanks has increased since February 2022 by 5.6 times, unmanned aerial vehicles by 16.8 times and artillery shells by 17.5 times, Shoigu said.

He said Russia had taken on 490,000 contract and voluntary soldiers in 2023. Next year, Russia will try to boost that contracted force to 745,000 men.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an expanded meeting of the Defence Ministry Board at the National Defence Control Centre in Moscow. Photo: Kremlin via Reuters

Russian forces have laid 7,000km (4,400 miles) of minefields in Ukraine – some up to 600 metres (2,000 feet) wide, along with 1.5 million anti-tank barriers and 2,000km of anti-tank ditches, Shoigu said.

Putin said Ukrainian membership of Nato “is not acceptable for Russia in 10 years, and not in 20”.