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.
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 former 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.
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.’
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.
