Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned Tuesday that U.S President Donald Trump’s administration is listening to the Kremlin’s justifications for its invasion of neighboring Ukraine and claimed that Moscow and Washington have come to a “mutual understanding” concerning the battle.
Putin mentioned throughout a go to to China that “the (Trump) administration is listening to us,” as he complained that former President Joe Biden paid Moscow’s arguments no heed.
“Now we see this mutual understanding, it’s noticeable,” Putin mentioned at a bilateral assembly with pro-Russian Slovak President Robert Fico after talks with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping in Beijing. “We are very happy about this and hope this constructive dialogue will continue.”
However Russia faces attainable punitive actions by Trump, who has expressed frustration at Putin’s lack of engagement in U.S.-led peace efforts and threatened unspecified “severe consequences.” The American president has made ending the three-year warfare one among his diplomatic priorities and hosted Putin at a summit in Alaska final month.
Putin attended the Shanghai Cooperation Group summit within the Chinese language metropolis of Tianjin with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who’re additionally going through stress from Trump. The SCO began out as a safety discussion board seen as a foil to U.S. affect in Central Asia but it surely has grown in affect over time.
After the summit, the Russian chief held talks with Xi in Beijing, and on Wednesday he was to attend a large army parade there commemorating the eightieth anniversary of the tip of World Battle II.
In Beijing, Putin struck an apparently amenable tone about attainable progress in some facets of the discussions to cease the combating, though his feedback mirrored no substantial change in Russia’s place. Western leaders have accused Putin of marking time in peace efforts whereas Russia’s larger military seeks to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
On the important thing challenge of attainable postwar safety ensures for Ukraine to discourage one other Russian invasion, Putin mentioned “it seems to me that there is an opportunity to find consensus.” He didn’t elaborate.
Whereas Putin reiterated that Moscow is not going to settle for NATO membership for Ukraine, he additionally famous that he had by no means objected to Ukraine becoming a member of the European Union.
Contributor by way of Getty Photos
He additionally mentioned Russia “can work with our American partners” on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Energy Plant, Europe’s largest and one of many 10 largest atomic energy crops on the planet. Its destiny has been a central concern of the warfare on account of fears of a nuclear accident.
Putin mentioned Russia may additionally work with Ukraine on the Zaporizhzhia query — “if favorable conditions arise.”
Fico mentioned he deliberate to satisfy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday within the Ukrainian metropolis of Uzhorod, which lies on the border with Slovakia, to speak about Ukraine’s assaults on Russian power infrastructure.
Slovakia and Hungary, which refuse to supply arms to Ukraine, condemned latest strikes by Ukrainian troops in opposition to Russian oil infrastructure, specifically the Druzhba oil pipeline. The 2 nations, in addition to the Czech Republic, are exempt from a European Union ban on importing Russian oil, which they depend on.
Fico advised Putin he needs to normalize relations and develop enterprise ties with Russia whereas persevering with to import Russian oil and pure gasoline.
Observe AP’s protection of the warfare in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine
