Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday rejected a scenario of the country’s international isolation and promised its people a “self-sufficient” future, amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive that seeks to regain positions in the country’s east and south. country.
“Our future depends on us”Putin said during his speech at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, in which he painted a victorious picture of the situation on the war front in Ukraine, where the country is suffering heavy losses, according to Kiev and its Western allies.
The Russian leader emphasized that all Russians, from scientists to businessmen, farmers and artists, are making their contribution so that the country is “self-sufficient, including in the areas of security and defense.”
“This does not mean isolation, because in collaboration with our partners and friends we will develop and strengthen the country” to “preserve the soul of Russia”.
Putin is expected to meet in the coming hours with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who arrived in Russia on Tuesday, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry.
The meeting between Putin and Kim, who traveled accompanied by a delegation of military officials who manage North Korean nuclear weapons, has raised concerns among Western countries, which fear a possible arms deal for the war in Ukraine.
Referring to the situation on the front line in Ukraine, Putin assured that the counter-offensive launched by Kiev three months ago “has no results.”
‘They are making a lot of losses’he emphasized, before labeling the counter-offensive a “failure,” similar to other occasions.
Commenting on Kiev’s allies’ plans to supply F-16 fighters, Putin assured that sending these devices will not change the balance of forces on the ground.
‘They will simply escalate the conflict’he assured, noting that the arrival of cluster munitions in Ukraine did not change the situation at the front.
At the same time, it ruled out the possibility of negotiating with Kiev while the counter-offensive continued.
“They counterattack, and we say we stop?”he wondered.
According to Putin, the end of military actions and the beginning of negotiations depends on Kiev’s willingness to revoke the decree of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which bans negotiations with Russia.
Reaffirming Russia’s decision to bring this war to an end, he stated that in the past six to seven months, approximately 270,000 Russians chose to enlist in the armed forces and sign professional contracts.
“We previously promoted a partial mobilization and called 300,000 people into the ranks. Now, in the last six or seven months, 270,000 people have freely signed contracts to serve in the armed forces and in volunteer units.”he said.
“This process continues. Every day 1000 to 1500 people sign contracts”he said, avoiding a possible new wave of mobilization that could lead to popular protests.
On the front in Ukraine, the spokesman of the Ukrainian General Staff, Andri Kovalov, recorded the “progress” of his troops south and east of the town of Robotyne, in the southern Zaporijia region, with the consolidation of the “regained territory”.
Kovalov also said that the Russian army is trying to reposition itself and recover from the losses, continuing the attack on Ukrainian forces in this sector.
The Russian Ministry of Defense, in turn, did not recognize any advance by the Ukrainian forces and limited itself to stating that it had repulsed all attacks and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy in terms of men and material.
The Russian military offensive on Ukrainian territory, launched on February 24 last year, plunged Europe into what is considered the worst security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
Ukraine’s Western allies have supplied weapons to Kiev and approved successive sanctions packages against Russian interests to try to reduce Moscow’s ability to finance the war effort.
Source: DN
