Published December 26,2024
Subscribe
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday claimed that his outgoing US counterpart Joe Biden proposed suspending Ukraine’s NATO accession in 2021.
“I know that the current President Biden spoke about this, it is no secret, back in 2021. He proposed exactly this to me – to delay Ukraine’s admission to NATO for 10-15 years, because it is not ready yet,” Putin informed reporters in a press briefing in St. Petersburg.
Expressing that he agreed with Biden’s assessment about Ukraine not being prepared, Putin stated: “But you will prepare it and accept it.”
“From the historical point of view … it is one moment. For us, what difference does it make – today, tomorrow or in 10 years,” he added.
He went on to say that, on this regard, he isn’t acquainted with the statements of Trump‘s group, later questioning there is no such thing as a distinction between the Biden administration and the reported proposals of Trump’s group.
“I don’t know how this situation will develop further, what the instructions from the elected president to his colleagues will be. We’ll see,” he stated.
Russia has cited NATO‘s enlargement in the direction of its borders as a key cause to begin its “special military operation” in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
Trump, who will take cost subsequent month, has questioned US help to Ukraine and has vowed to finish the battle swiftly.
– SLOVAK MEDIATION
Putin additionally commented on his current talks with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico late Sunday, saying that the premier expressed his nation’s readiness to offer a platform for negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
“If it comes to that – why not. Because Slovakia takes such a neutral position, from our point of view. This is an acceptable option for us,” he stated.
Expressing that Russia has all the time been in favor of deliveries of pure fuel to Europe, Putin stated that they’ve additionally been for “depoliticizing economic issues,” indicating Moscow’s readiness to produce fuel by way of neighboring Poland.
The Russian president went on to remind Ukraine’s choice of to not prolong the contract between Moscow and Kyiv on fuel transit to Europe which is about to run out on Jan. 1.
“They (Ukraine) are pecked from the hand, as I have already said, by Europe, because without European support Ukraine cannot even exist, let alone fight. But now they are punishing the same Europe by closing the transit contract for the supply of our gas to Europe,” he went on to say.
He additionally stated that it could not be potential to resume the contract earlier than the New Year as it’s “impossible to conclude it in 3-4 days.”
– ORESHNIK INTERMEDIATE-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILE SYSTEM
Talking about Russia’s new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile system, Putin stated that regardless of not having many of those techniques but, they’re nonetheless in possession of it and multiple such system.
“We are in no hurry to use them because these weapons are powerful, they are designed to solve specific problems. We have started serial production, now we will produce the required quantity and what we need, we will place something on the territory of Belarus,” Putin stated.
He additional stated that Russia all the time responds “in kind” to assaults on its territory, saying: “They use certain weapons against us-we use the same.”
Source: www.anews.com.tr