Putin held a meeting with the heads of international news agencies. The main thing
On June 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the heads of international news agencies on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). During the meeting, the Russian leader talked about Russia's special operation in Ukraine, Russia's relations with China, India and the European Union, and the situation in the Middle East. Putin's main statements are in the Izvestia article.
Special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine
During a meeting with the heads of international news agencies, Putin said that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation were advancing along the entire front line as part of a special military operation.
"Russian troops are advancing along the entire line of contact. There is no place where there would not be an offensive by Russian troops," he stressed.
In addition, he noted that Russian military personnel have already liberated more than 85% of the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). The Russian leader added that fighters of the Russian Armed Forces also control 80% of the Zaporizhia region. At the same time, the process of liberating the designated territories, as he stressed, is conducted on a daily basis.
According to the President of the Russian Federation, the main condition for achieving all his goals is patriotism and the will of the people. The Head of State also noted that Russia has its own production, resource, scientific and personnel bases that help solve all the tasks of providing the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
In addition, Putin noted that the main problem of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) is a catastrophic shortage of personnel.
He added that the pace of replenishment of the Ukrainian army does not compensate for the losses. He noted that forced mobilization in Ukraine provides about 15-16 thousand people a month, while about 14 thousand more military personnel return to service after treatment. As a result, the number of Ukrainian Armed Forces is reduced by about 10 thousand per month.
According to the head of state, the shortage of personnel has a direct impact on the situation in the zone of self-defense and leads to the loss of territories and settlements. Putin also noted that Russia has modern strike capabilities, including hypersonic and cruise missiles, which Ukraine does not have.
Speaking about the settlement of the conflict, Putin said that plans to "make a deal" and "control the entire Donbas" do not exclude each other.
"One thing does not exclude the other — to control the entire Donbass region and conclude a deal does not contradict each other. Why do you think that this is in contradiction?" the Russian leader asked.
He also called Kiev's agreement on compromises, which were discussed in Anchorage, a condition for a quick resolution of the conflict. According to Putin, Russia is ready and willing to resolve the situation by peaceful means, based on the agreements reached at the meeting with US President Donald Trump.
The Head of State clarified that the Kiev regime is not ready for peaceful agreements to resolve the conflict.
Relations between Russia and the European Union
The Russian president said that Moscow does not give up contacts with the European Union (EU), but cannot trust politicians who advocate inflicting a strategic defeat on the Russian Federation. According to the head of state, the initiative to resume the dialogue should come from the European side.
"Russia never refuses contacts with Europe, it is enough to pick up the phone and make a call," the Russian leader noted.
In addition, Putin spoke about the possibility of establishing a negotiation process between Russia and European states. He noted that the candidacy of the EU representative could be discussed through the foreign ministries.
In addition, the head of state added that Russia is concerned that the EU is transforming into a military bloc. Putin also said that the Europeans need to abandon the colonial approach and talk to Russia as an equal partner.
The situation in the Middle East
Speaking about the military operation of the United States and Israel against Iran, Putin said that the allegations that Russia is allegedly the main beneficiary of the conflict are speculation.
The Russian leader noted that a short-term increase in energy prices may bring some benefits to Russian companies, but Russia seeks to build long-term relationships with partners based on mutual interest.
"This is just speculation about the fact that Russia is almost the only beneficiary of this conflict due to rising energy prices," Putin said.
He also added that Russia remains ready to export enriched uranium from Iran. Putin noted that this issue should be discussed by all participants in the negotiations.
In addition, the Russian leader urged not to forget about the tragedy of Palestine against the background of the conflict in Iran. The Head of State reiterated Russia's position that there can only be one fundamental way to resolve this issue — the creation of a full-fledged Palestinian state.
Russia's relations with India and China
During a meeting with representatives of international news agencies, Putin drew attention to Moscow's relations with Beijing and New Delhi. According to the head of state, Russia has not made "any U-turns" towards the Asian region at the moment, as strategic cooperation with partners has been building for decades.
He noted that after the outbreak of events in the Ukrainian direction, theses about a change in the country's political course began to be often heard. According to the Russian leader, Moscow has not changed anything, since the basic agreement that became the foundation for today's results was signed 25 years ago.
In addition, Putin added that the Chinese side is actively developing and occupies an increasingly large niche in the global economy and politics, which the Russian side has closely observed, developing joint work.
The Russian leader also said that Moscow and Beijing may soon announce new agreements in the energy sector. Putin noted that Russian-Chinese cooperation is actively developing against the background of the growth and diversification of the economies of the two countries.
In addition, the Russian leader said that Russia and India will reach $100 billion in trade in the coming years, and there are all prerequisites to achieve more ambitious goals.
According to Putin, Russia's relations with China do not interfere with India, and the combination of the three countries helps everyone.
"Russia has its own relations with both China and India. And it doesn't hurt anyone. They had been developing for decades, and everything was developing naturally. And Russia's relations with India do not interfere with China, and Russia's relations with China do not interfere with India. And the combination of the three countries helps everyone," Putin said.
About the Russian economy
The Russian economy has surpassed all European countries in terms of purchasing power parity and has become the fourth in the world, Putin said.
In addition, Putin commented on Western forecasts of supposedly imminent problems in the Russian economy, recalling the famous expression of the writer Mark Twain.
"As for the economy, as Mark Twain said, 'The rumors about my death are greatly exaggerated.'..> So it is now. They predicted defeat on the battlefield, then they said, I remember the former president of the United States [Joe Biden] said that the Russian economy was in tatters. But don't wishful thinking," he said.
Putin said that the assessment of the state of the economy should be based on objective indicators and statistical data, rather than political statements.
The Head of State also noted that the Central Bank of Russia has made a number of tough decisions to improve the economy, but these measures are yielding results. According to Putin, the economy is gradually returning to its target indicators. He noted that the annual inflation rate in April was 5.4%. According to him, industrial production and real incomes of the population continue to grow against the background of the measures taken.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
