Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to reporters on Friday after the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Bishkek, the Kyrgyz capital. Among the topics he discussed were the latest revelations from former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the military operation in Ukraine, the threat of nuclear war, the much-publicized prisoner swap with the United States and relations between Russia with the EU and Africa.
Merkel’s comments justify operation in Ukraine
Putin found German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s confession – that the purpose of the Minsk Accords was to “win time” for Ukraine – surprising and disappointing, but said that only means that the decision to launch the special military operation was correct. “Their objective was only to load Ukraine with weapons and prepare it for hostilities. We see that. Honestly, maybe we realized it too late, and maybe we should have started all of this sooner,” says Putin.“I thought the other participants in this process were honest. Turns out they were cheating on us too. said the Russian president.
How to Negotiate with “Zero Confidence”
Deception on Minsk now raises a “matter of trust” Putin said, noting that he is currently “almost to zero”. The real question now is whether negotiations on anything with anyone are even possible, and what would guarantee an eventual deal, he added. “At the end of the day there will have to be talks. We are ready for them, I have said that many times. But it makes us think, who we are dealing with.
What he meant by Ukraine “which takes a long time”
Asked about his earlier statement that the military operation could be a “long procedure” Putin explained that he was actually referring to the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. “The special military operation is proceeding quickly, everything is stable, there are no questions or problems today,” he said. Solve the whole situation “It probably won’t be easy and it will take time, but one way or another, everyone involved in this process will have to come to terms with the realities that are emerging on the ground.”
On launching a nuclear first strike
The United States has long had a doctrine of “disarming” attack on command and control systems, for which they developed cruise missiles that the Soviet Union lacked, Putin said. Now Russia has hypersonic missiles which are “more modern and even more efficient”, then “Perhaps we should think about adopting the developments and ideas of our American partners when it comes to providing security.” While US doctrine envisions a preemptive nuclear strike, Russian doctrine is about retaliation, Putin explained. If the Russian early warning system detects a missile attack, “Hundreds of our missiles will fly and it will be impossible to stop them.” While some attack missiles will hit Russia, “nothing will remain of the enemy”, and that is how nuclear deterrence works, he explained.
More exchanges like Bout-Griner are possible
Russia does not see the success of the talks to exchange Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout as an opening to discuss other matters with the United States. While the negotiations “created a certain atmosphere” no other issues were raised within their framework, Putin said. “to continue, and in fact never to stop”, but that this specific trade was initiated by US President Joe Biden.“Are other exchanges possible? Yes, everything is possible. It is the result of negotiations and the search for compromise. In this case, a compromise has been found,” said the Russian president.
On the need for another mobilization
There are “no consideration” of another call, Putin said when asked if more Russians will have to take up arms in 2023. Of the 300,000 who have been called, some 150,000 have been deployed, but only 77,000 in combat units , while others are engaged in other duties at this time. The remaining 150,000 soldiers are not yet deployed, but are undergoing additional training, he said. “Half of those called up are combat reserve, so why would anyone talk about an extra callup?” Putin concluded.
Reply to Borrell’s comment on Africa
Responding to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s assertion that many Africans may not know where Donbas is or who Putin might be, the Russian president said the continent does not knew only too well who had contributed to their liberation from European colonialism.“Stop talking about their love for African people and start helping these countries”, says Putin. “If the people you mentioned knew where Africa is and what condition the peoples of Africa are in, they would not interfere with the supply of Russian food and fertilizers to the African continent, on which ultimately depends account the harvest in African countries and the salvation of hundreds of thousands of people in Africa from starvation.
