Nearly 700,000 Russian soldiers in Special Military Zone: Putin
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Earlier today, Putin announced that Russia is prepared to initiate negotiations with Ukraine under specific conditions.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, congratulates Stepan Belov awarded with the Hero of Russia title on his birthday during a meeting with participants of the "Time of Heroes" project that will virtually help veterans of the special military operation to become government administrators, at the Senezh Management Lab in Solnechnogorsk outside Solnechnogorsk, Russia, Friday, June 14, 2024 (AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed on Friday that close to 700,000 Russian soldiers are currently stationed in the special military operation zone.
During a meeting with participants of the "Time of Heroes" program, aimed at supporting veterans of military operations, Putin disclosed, "The ‘Time of Heroes’ program includes 80 people, and we have almost 700,000 people in the special military operation zone."
Putin also addressed the strategic necessity for Russian troops to push back the front line in the Kharkiv region. This action was taken to mitigate the threat of terrorist attacks directed towards Russia's Belgorod.
Earlier today, Putin announced that Russia is prepared to initiate negotiations with Ukraine under specific conditions. If Kiev and Western capitals reject this offer, as they have done in the past, they bear political and moral responsibility for the ongoing violence, he said.
Putin outlined the conditions for the proposed peace plan, stating that Ukrainian forces must withdraw entirely from the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, as well as from the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
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He specified that the withdrawal should cover the entire territory of these regions within their original administrative borders before they became part of Ukraine. Once Kiev agrees to these terms and begins withdrawing troops while also formally renouncing NATO membership plans, Russia will immediately cease fire and commence negotiations.
Shortly after, during an interview with Italian broadcaster Sky TG24 on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Italy, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Putin's proposal echoed Russia's previous propositions, labeling it an "ultimatum".
In response to these remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified that the proposal is, in fact, a sincere attempt at initiating peace negotiations.
Speaking to the Izvestia newspaper, Peskov said that Putin's proposal should not be construed as an ultimatum but rather as a genuine effort towards resolving the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
"It is surely a misunderstanding, it is exactly a peace initiative," Peskov stated.
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Describing Putin's proposal as a "real peaceful" initiative, Peskov addressed various aspects including security guarantees, noting that the proposal aims at fostering constructive dialogue between the two nations.
"It talks about further discussion of security guarantees and so on and so forth, so it is a comprehensive, very deep and constructive proposal," the spokesman said.
"The situation today is different from 2022 'de facto and de jure,'" Peskov noted, underlining the changes that require a fresh approach towards peace negotiations.
He further stressed the importance of considering the inclusion of new regions into Russia when discussing peace with Ukraine.
