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Vladimir Putin has once again declared that Europe should lose no sleep – according to him, Russia has no plans to attack in the future.
The Russian president called such claims ‘outright lies and nonsense’ as he acknowledged the US-brokered peace plan for Ukraine for the first time.
‘We can write it down,’ the warlord offered, generously. ‘Maybe that makes sense, meaning, if we want to talk about it together, and discuss, and puts the dots together in the issues of European security.’
He confirmed that Russia is now ready for ‘serious’ talks, adding that a US delegation will visit Moscow next week.
‘There was a line of questions put forward for discussion,’ he said, adding that there are no ‘final versions’.
Putin made the remarks to the security council of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which includes Belarus and several other ex-Soviet states, in Kyrgyzstan.
He took the opportunity to make many claims about Russian forces fully encircling Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, in the Donetsk region.
Putin also addressed one of Volodymyr Zelensky’s ‘red lines’ in ending the war – the surrender of currently occupied territories in Ukraine.
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Stressing that he eventually wants to make a deal with Ukraine, he warned that his troops are advancing fast on the battlefield and added: ‘If Ukrainian soldiers leave the occupied territories, then we will cease hostilities.
‘If they do not leave – we will achieve it by military means.’
Taking one of the final questions at the security council, Putin stressed that signing documents with the current Ukrainian leadership is ‘pointless’.
It comes after France announced a limited form of military service would be introduced, some 25 years after conscription was scrapped.
President Emmanuel Macron said the policy was in response to growing fears about a conflict with Russia.
‘The only way to avoid danger is to prepare for it,’ he said.
A round-up of key details from Putin's speech:
- Putin spoke about the US-brokered peace plan for the first time, saying there are ‘no final versions’
- The Russian president vowed not to launch an attack on the continent in the future as part of a potential agreement
- He stressed there were no draft peace treaties on Ukraine, only a set of issues for discussion
- The leader said the fighting will cease when Ukrainian troops withdraw from their positions in Ukraine
- He also rejected reports of a rift with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov
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