Putin responds to Kiev’s ‘peace formula’ ultimatum
FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, China. © Sputnik / Sergey Guneev
Russia will not yield to ultimatums from Ukraine and its Western backers as they try to gain diplomatically what they have failed to gain militarily, President Vladimir Putin has said.
In mid-June, Switzerland will host an international conference to discuss Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s so-called “peace formula.” Russia was excluded from the event.
Speaking to journalists on Friday, Putin reiterated Moscow’s perception of the upcoming event as a mere ruse by Kiev and the West.
”They want to gather as many nations as possible, convince everyone that the best proposal is the terms of the Ukrainian side, and then send it to us in the form of an ultimatum,” he said. “Is that the way one negotiates seriously? Certainly not.”
Russia and Ukraine had a preliminary agreement on a peace deal in 2022 which would have been beneficial for both sides, Putin noted. But after the general terms were negotiated, Kiev backtracked and declared it would be seeking a military victory instead. The attempt to force its demands on Moscow will fail just as the attempt to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia has failed, Putin vowed.
The agreements made in Istanbul could serve as the basis for a future peace treaty, the Russian leader said. The benefits for Ukraine in the document were proposed by Kiev’s side, presumably with Western consent, if not authorship, Putin suggested. However, any future agreement “will have to take into account the realities on the ground,” he added.
Following the collapse of the peace talks in 2022, four regions of Ukraine held referendums in which they voted overwhelmingly in favor of breaking away from Kiev and joining Russia. The Ukrainian government has rejected the votes as a “sham.”
The Ukrainian ‘peace formula’ demands the return of the four regions and Crimea, which voted to become part of Russia in 2014, war reparations, a tribunal for the Russian leadership, and long-term global support for restoration of the country. Putin called it a “wish list” rather than a serious foundation for talks.
Russia ready for talks with Ukraine, but needs to know who is trustworthy there — Putin
Russia has never refused to negotiate with Ukraine - unlike Kiev - but now it is necessary to understand who can be done business with and who is trustworthy there, President Vladimir Putin told Russian journalists accompanying him on his visit to China.
He recalled that Moscow "never refused to negotiate," it was politicians in Kiev who "withdrew from the negotiation process" as soon as troops were pulled back from Kiev.
"We were deceived once again," Putin said. "Now we have to understand who we should do business with and how. Who and to what extent we can trust. And, of course, we are now analyzing everything that is happening on this track."
Putin recalled that when Russian troops were near Kiev, the Western partners insisted on their pullback: "No documents can be signed if the opposite side puts a gun to your temple," they argued.
"The next day they threw our agreements into the dustbin and said, 'Well, now we will fight to the end’," Putin recalled. "And their Western handlers took the position now known to the whole world: Russia is to be defeated on the battlefield, to be made suffer a strategic defeat. We are not the ones who behaved this way.
US directly responsible for emergence, escalation of Ukrainian crisis — Beijing
The United States is directly responsible for the creation and development of the Ukrainian crisis to its current state, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin
©AP Photo/Liu Zheng
"The US, with its Cold War-era mentality, bears an irremediable responsibility for the emergence and escalation of the Ukrainian crisis," the spokesman said, adding that Washington seeks enemies and does not seek peace on the Ukrainian issue.
On May 16, US Department of State Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel noted that China cannot improve relations with Europe, if it will support Russia at the same time, allegedly fueling the Russian military-industrial complex. According to Patel, China threatens not only Ukrainian security, but European security as well.
New opportunities, broad prospects await China, Russia — Xi
The future is bright for China-Russia relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
©Sergey Bobylev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
"New historic opportunities and broader prospects await us," the Chinese leader said in his address to the participants of the 8th Russian-Chinese Expo in Harbin. "Through joint efforts, Sino-Russian relations are steadily moving forward little by little. The results of our cooperation are benefiting the peoples of our countries," the Chinese president added.
According to him, China-Russia relations have entered a new era. He recalled that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
"I warmly congratulate the 8th China-Russia Expo," Xi added. "Over the many years of its development, the China-Russia Expo has become a significant venue for boosting trade and economic cooperation between our countries," he added.
Xi expressed hope that the business circles of China and Russia will delve into issues of interest at the exhibition, intensify contacts, "together make their contribution to mutually beneficial cooperation" and give "a new impetus" to the development of Sino-Russian cooperation.
On May 17-21, Harbin hosts the 8th Russian-Chinese Expo, where numerous businesses and 16 Russian regions will present their stands. It is expected to stimulate the socio-economic development of the two countries, make better use of their investment opportunities, encourage the implementation of joint projects, and increase the supply of quality products. The area of the whole exhibition encompasses 388,000 square meters. Over 5,000 types of goods are presented there. TASS is the general information partner of the event.
Russia Vows to Retaliate Against EU Over Media Ban
The Council of the EU has decided on Friday to suspend the broadcasting activities of four more Russia-associated media outlets Voice of Europe, RIA Novosti, Izvestia and Rossiyskaya Gazeta in the European Union.
©Sputnik/Natalia Seliverstova
Russia will provide a tit-for-tat response to Europe’s ban against RIA Novosti, Izvestia, Rossiyskaya Gazeta and the Voice of Europe portal, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Russian media.
RIA Novosti is Russia's leading news agency and Russian-language news website. Rossiya Segodnya is the parent company of RIA Novosti.
The European Union decided Friday to ban a number of media outlets, including RIA Novosti, Izvestia, Rossiyskaya Gazeta and the Voice of Europe, from broadcasting on its territory, the EU Council said in a statement.
