President Vladimir Putin said in comments to the relatives of the soldiers killed on Thursday that Russia would seek a peace agreement in Ukraine that protects its long -term security and would not back down from the benefits in the struggle.
Putin also swiped an indirect swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron, stating that Western leaders should not underestimate the Russian people and should take into account the fate of the Napoleon Bonaparte, which ended the attack on Russia in 1812.
Putin told a group of Russian women, “We should choose ourselves a peace option that will suit us and it will ensure peace for our country in a long time.”
The mother of a fallen soldier was asked if Russia would back down, Putin said that he does not intend to do so. Russia currently controls under the fifth of Ukraine – or about 113,000 sq km.
Many women wiped tears several times during the meeting.
US President Donald Trump has increased the Western policy on the Ukraine War, opening bilateral talks with Moscow after a confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodimier Zelanski at the White House last week, and has increased the Western policy on the Ukraine War.
Reuters reported in November that Putin was open to discuss a Ukraine peace agreement with Trump, but refused to give any major regional concessions and insisted that Kiev would give up ambitions to join NATO.
Last summer determining its terms to end the war, Putin also said that Ukraine would have to withdraw all its forces from the entire region of four Ukrainian regions and was partially controlled by Russia.
Macron jokingly
The dramatic change of US policy on Ukraine has raised hopes of peace talks, but also worried Washington’s European colleagues who have confirmed their support for Kiev this week.
France’s Macron angered Moscow on Wednesday when he said in a address to the nation that Russia was a threat to Europe.
Macron said that Paris may discuss the expansion of his atomic umbrella for colleagues and he would hold a meeting of army chiefs from European countries willing to send peacekeeping soldiers in Ukraine after any peace agreement.
Russia made fun of Macron, called it “Micron”. The Russian cartoon cast him as Emperor Napoleon of France, who rushed him to a defeat in Russia in 1812.
Putin said on Thursday, “There are still people who want to go back during Napoleon’s time, they forget how it ended.”
Putin said, “All the mistakes of our enemies and opponents began with it: the character of Russian people and representatives of Russian culture in general were underestimated.”
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by the NDTV staff and published from a press release)
