Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Ukraine’s statehood could suffer a severe blow if the current pattern of war persisted, and Russia would not be forced to give up the gains it had made, in a televised address on Tuesday.
Putin’s comments came a day after Switzerland agreed to host a global summit at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Putin dismissed what he called “prohibitive demands” and “so-called peace formulas” being discussed in the West and Ukraine, saying “If they don’t want (to negotiate), then don’t!”
“Now it is quite obvious, not only (Ukraine’s) counter-offensive failed, but the initiative is completely in the hands of the Russian armed forces. If this continues, Ukrainian statehood may suffer an irreparable, very serious blow,” Putin said, expressing his confidence in the current course of the war.
Putin’s remarks about the war have grown increasingly assertive in recent months, as Ukraine’s counter-offensive failed to make substantial gains against entrenched Russian forces. Russia currently controls 17.5% of Ukraine’s territory.
Putin stated that negotiations were an attempt to compel Russia to abandon the gains it had made, which he asserted was impossible to do. Zelenskiy’s peace formula calls for the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, cessation of hostilities, and withdrawal of Russian troops.
Russia insisted that any negotiation must consider the “new realities” created by its forces on the ground.
(Reporting by Reuters; writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Nick Macfie)
