Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s name for an finish to the conflict in Ukraine has been met with a pointy rebuke from the US, which stated the Russian chief had proven “zero” curiosity in peace negotiations.
“Our objective is to not spin the flywheel of navy battle however, quite the opposite, to finish this conflict,” Putin stated on Thursday.
“We are going to attempt for an finish to this and the earlier the higher, after all,” he stated.
“All armed conflicts finish a technique or one other with some type of negotiations on the diplomatic observe,” he added.
“Ultimately, any events in a state of battle sit down and make an settlement. The earlier this realisation involves those that oppose us, the higher. We’ve by no means given up on this.”
Putin’s feedback got here as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White Home and later made a stirring speech to the US Congress the place he stated assist for Ukraine was an funding in safety and democracy for all the world.
The US additionally introduced an extra $1.85bn in navy help for Kyiv to coincide with Zelensky’s first identified journey outdoors of Ukraine since Russia invaded in February.
Washington was swift in response to Putin’s peace feedback.
The White Home’s nationwide safety spokesman John Kirby stated Putin has “proven completely zero indication that he’s prepared to barter” to deliver an finish to the 10-month-old battle.
“Fairly the opposite,” Kirby advised reporters throughout a web-based briefing. “All the things he (Putin) is doing on the bottom and within the air bespeaks a person who needs to proceed to go to violence upon the Ukrainian individuals” and “escalate the conflict”.
Kirby stated US President Joe Biden was open to a dialogue with Putin however provided that he “confirmed a seriousness about negotiations”.
Kirby’s statements had been echoed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
“Basically proper now, Russia has proven little interest in significant diplomacy, in meaningfully partaking, to deliver this conflict to an finish,” Blinken stated at a press convention on Thursday, the AFP reported.
The battle, Blinken reiterated, may very well be ended if Russia merely withdrew its troops.
“Within the absence of that, now we have to see some significant proof that Russia is ready to really negotiate a simply and sturdy peace,” Blinken stated.
“By simply – one which doesn’t merely ratify one other nation seizing by pressure the territory of one other,” he stated.
“Sturdy – within the sense that we wish to guarantee that it holds and that we’re not merely placing Ukraine ready the place Russia goes to repeat what it did a month, six months, a 12 months later,” he added.
Ukraine and its allies have routinely blasted the Kremlin’s statements on peace as hole makes an attempt to stall after months of extended setbacks on the battlefield.
Putin on Thursday additionally minimised the Patriot air defence system Biden has pledged to produce to Kyiv.
He described the Patriots as “fairly previous”, in distinction with Russia’s S-300 system and stated the Kremlin would search a option to outmanoeuvre – and “crack” – the delicate surface-to-air missile defence system.
“An antidote will at all times be discovered,” Putin stated of the Patriot system.
“So those that do it are doing it in useless. It’s simply prolonging the battle, that’s all.”
1000’s of Ukrainian civilians have perished and Ukraine’s inhabitants is enduring brutal winter circumstances – with many surviving with out water, energy or warmth amid the Kremlin’s relentless bombardment, which has been hitting “important infrastructure”, together with energy stations and power provide hubs in areas surrounding the capital and elsewhere within the nation.