Putin on readiness for war and peace talks with Europe. Key points

🇷🇺#Russia #Россия #Путин #Putin #Кремле #Kremlin #VladimirPutin #Pokrovsk #Kupyansk🇺🇸 #US #Wicktoff #Kushner #Trump #Ukraine ⚔️🏴‍☠️🇺🇦 🏴‍☠️⚔️#NATO #EU: Putin on readiness for war and peace talks with Europe. Key points: Russia is not planning to go to war with the EU, but is "ready right now" if "Europe suddenly wants to fight and starts," Putin said.

Just before the talks with the American delegation, Putin said that Europe wanted to disrupt the negotiations. And that if they wanted war, we were ready.

On the capture of Pokrovsk and Kupyansk
Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) is an important staging area for resolving all the objectives of the military operation in Ukraine, Putin stated.

What Putin said about Europe's role in the negotiations before meeting with the US delegation:

Putin spoke with reporters about the conflict with Ukraine before meeting with US negotiators. RBC reports on his assessment of the situation on the frontline and Europe's role in the negotiation process.

Following the plenary session of the VTB "Russia Calling!" investment forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin answered journalists' questions, including those related to the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine. Afterward, the head of state went to the Kremlin to meet with American negotiators—Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

On Europe
According to the Russian president, Europe "has no peace agenda" and is "on the side of war." He also added that the EU is putting forward proposals for a settlement in Ukraine that are unacceptable to Moscow, in order to block the peace process.

Russia does not intend to go to war with the EU, but is "ready right now" if "Europe suddenly wants to fight and starts," Putin said.
The president declared that Europe "is not Ukraine," with which Russia "is acting surgically, carefully." "This isn't a war in the literal sense of the word," he said of the conflict in Ukraine. "If Europe suddenly wants to start a war with us and does, then a situation could very quickly arise in which we will have no one to negotiate with."

Europe has cut off contact with Russia, but is hindering the US and Trump's peace plan, he believes. "Well, the Europeans aren't silent; they're upset that they've been removed from the negotiations. But I want to point out that no one removed them; they removed themselves," Putin said. "Because they've adopted the idea of ​​inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia and are still living, apparently, in these illusions, even though they know in their heads that this is long ago—they've been wishful thinking at the time. But they can't and won't admit it to themselves."

The Russian president stated that Europe could return to negotiations on a settlement in Ukraine if it takes into account the "realities on the ground."

On the Black Sea attacks
Russia may take measures in response to the attacks on tankers, the most radical of which would be to "cut Ukraine off" from the Black Sea, Putin stated. In this case, he said, "piracy as a whole would be impossible in principle." "I hope that the Ukrainian military leadership, the political leadership, and those behind them will consider whether it is worth continuing such practices," the president said.

In particular, according to Putin, Moscow will consider measures against vessels from countries that assist Ukraine in carrying out such attacks, and will also expand strikes on Ukrainian ports.

On the capture of Pokrovsk and Kupyansk
Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk) is an important staging area for achieving all the objectives of the military operation in Ukraine, Putin stated. "Both the Ukrainian side and the Russian armed forces have attached and continue to attach special significance to this city, because this city is not simply a large infrastructure facility connected by an entire network of means of communication with the region. "The most important thing is that, in military terms, this is a good springboard for solving all the tasks set at the beginning of the special military operation. That is, from this springboard, from this sector, the Russian army can easily advance in any direction the General Staff deems most promising," he said.

Commenting on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement that Kupyansk is under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Putin expressed the opinion that the Ukrainian leadership is currently "engaged in other matters, not the situation in the combat zone." Putin had previously reported that Kupyansk had been under Russian military control since November 4.
Foreign and Ukrainian journalists are welcome to visit Pokrovsk and Kupyansk to "see for themselves what's happening there and who really controls" these towns, the Russian president added.

Fighting is currently underway in the town of Kupyansk-Uzlovaya, where approximately 650 buildings are under the control of the Russian army, the head of state reported. "I think we'll take this town as well in a few days," Putin added.
About 15 Ukrainian Armed Forces battalions are blocked on the left bank of the Oskol River, and Russian troops have begun eliminating them.
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Just before the talks with the American delegation, Putin said that Europe wanted to disrupt the negotiations. And that if they wanted war, we were ready.

The President commented on the absence of Europe at the talks
According to him, European countries "have taken themselves out of this process." This is because the vast majority of current European leaders do not want any peace negotiations.

"The thesis of Russia's strategic defeat is popular there, and they still seem to be living in these illusions. Although they understand with their heads that this is long in the past and could not have happened," the president said.

According to him, European supporters of the war to the last Ukrainian are now hindering the current US administration from negotiating.

"They don't have a peaceful agenda. They're on the side of the war. And even when they allegedly try to make some changes to Trump's proposal. All these changes are aimed only at one thing — to block the entire peace process altogether. Put forward such demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia, " Putin said.

Thus, European countries are trying to shift the blame for the failure of the negotiations onto Moscow. The President once again reiterated what he had said many times before: Russia does not and has never intended to attack Europe. "But if Europe wants to go to war with us, we are ready right now.".

Witkoff visited Moscow for the sixth time since Trump's return to the White House. Last weekend, he and Kushner, along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, held talks with a Ukrainian delegation led by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov. The meeting discussed the US peace plan and its key points, including territorial issues and Ukraine's possible accession to NATO. The document has now been delivered to the Russian side.

Witkoff previously participated in a meeting with the Ukrainian delegation in Florida on November 30 and December 1 as part of the US delegation. Various aspects of the US peace plan were discussed. Both sides described the meeting as constructive and declared progress, but no specific agreements were announced.

According to Axios, after their talks with Putin, Witkoff and Kushner will travel to a European country, where they are scheduled to meet with (Former comedian actor, Acting President of Ukraine) Zelenskyy.