“In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States — do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests,” Putin told a meeting attended by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov among top defence leadership.
“We will not give up what is ours,” he said, adding that Russia did not intend to fight with Europe, according to Dawn.
However, Putin said Ukrainian membership of Nato “is not acceptable for Russia in 10 years, and not in 20”.
Russian troops, Putin said, now had the initiative on the battlefield. “We are not going to abandon the goals of the special military operation,” he said, though he admitted Russia needed better military communication, reconnaissance, targeting and satellite capability.
He said Russia’s defence industry was responding faster than that of the West and said Russia would continue to upgrade its nuclear forces and keep its combat readiness at a high level.
Shoigu said Russian forces laid 7,000 square kilometres of minefields in Ukraine while production of tanks had increased since February 2022 by 5.6 times, unmanned aerial vehicles by 16.8 times and artillery shells by 17.5 times.
RHM/PR
