Russian President Vladimir Putinsaid on Tuesday that Ukraine's statehood could suffer an “irreparable blow” if the pattern of war continues, and that Russia will never be forced to abandon the gains made.
Putin made the comments on television a day after Switzerland agreed to host a global summit at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Putin rejected the so-called “peace formulas” being discussed in the West and in Ukraine and what he called the “prohibitive demands” they imply.
“Well, if they don't want to (negotiate), then don't negotiate!” said the Russian leader.
“It is now quite obvious that not only has (Ukraine’s) counteroffensive failed, but the initiative is completely in the hands of the Russian Armed Forces. If this continues, the Ukrainian state could suffer an irreparable, very serious blow.”
The statements of Putin over the course of the war have become increasingly confident and aggressive in recent months, with the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive to make substantial gains in the face of well-entrenched Russian forces.
Russia currently controls 17.5% of Ukraine's territory.
Putin said that talking about negotiation is “an attempt to motivate us to abandon the gains we have made in the last year and a half. But this is impossible. Everyone understands that this is impossible.”
A peace formula presented by Zelensky calls for the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, the end of hostilities and the withdrawal of Russian troops, among other points.
Russia says any negotiations would have to take into account the “new realities” created by its forces on the ground.
Source: CNN Brasil
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