West should stop delivering weapons to Kiev to resolve conflict: Putin
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Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasizes that Ukraine's military sector would soon "cease to exist" and that the West should halt arms sales to solve the conflict.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he speaks during a meeting with Russian war correspondents who cover a special military operation at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, June 13, 2023. (AP)
Kiev has so far failed in all aspects of its counteroffensive, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said that the Ukrainian military has incurred terrible fatalities. "The enemy was not successful in any of the directions. They have heavy losses," Putin noted during a meeting with military correspondents.
The president argued that the Ukrainian military is currently attacking at the Shakhtyorsk and Vremekva directions "but fail to reach the front line," adding that Ukraine is attacking from four directions. "This is a large-scale counteroffensive using, as I said quite recently publicly, reserves prepared for these purposes. It has been going on since [June] 4, and continues to this day, right now," Putin said.
The president also noted that the Ukrainian forces" lost more than 160 tanks [during their counteroffensive], while we lost 54. Some of them can be recovered and repaired."
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"According to my calculations, this is about 25% or maybe 30% of the volume of the equipment that was delivered from abroad, that is about it. It seems to me that if they objectively calculate them, they will agree with this number, but as far as I have seen from open sources, Western sources, that is almost what they say, I think. So the offensive is underway, and the results today are what I just said."
The president concluded that "as for armored vehicles, there are even more serious [losses]. They have lost over 160 tanks and over 360 armored vehicles of various types during this time. This is just what we register. There are also losses that we do not see, which are inflicted by high-precision long-range weapons on clusters of personnel and equipment. So in fact, there are more of them, these losses, on the part of Ukraine."
He stated that if Kiev continues to purchase all of its weaponry and equipment from foreign countries, Ukraine's military sector would soon cease to exist because it is creating nothing. "Ukraine's defense industry will soon completely cease to exist. What are they producing? They are importing ammunition, equipment, weapons, everything. So one cannot live and last long. That is why the issue related to demilitarization is in a very practical dimension," Putin highlighted.
'No Interest in destruction of Kakhovka HPP'
Putin stated that Russia had no desire to destroy the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant (HPP), adding that "this disaster had terrible ramifications for new Russian areas, and Kiev bears responsibility for this."
He told reporters that "we are definitely not interested in this, because these are serious consequences for those territories that we control and which are Russian — this is the first point. And the second point — well, unfortunately, I will say a strange thing, but nevertheless, unfortunately, it slowed down their counteroffensive in this direction. Why do I say, unfortunately? Because it would be better if they were advancing there. It is better for us because it would be really bad for them to attack there. But since such a flood occurred, then, accordingly, the offensive did not take place."
The president blamed Ukrainian soldiers for the disaster at the Kakhovka HPP, charging them with purposefully repeatedly attacking with HIMARS Kakhovka HPP.
With regard to conflict resolution, the president reiterated that the West must stop supplying Ukraine with weapons if the conflict is to be resolved, adding that the key to solving problems in Ukraine is in their hands. He emphasized that halting arms sales is the key to solving the conflict.
Sanitary Zone in Ukraine not ruled out amid attacks on Russia
Putin stated that if Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory continue, Moscow would have to consider establishing a buffer zone in Ukraine to prevent Ukrainian rockets from reaching Russian territory.
During the meeting, he warned that "if this continues, then we will apparently have to consider the issue - I say this very carefully - in order to create some kind of sanitary zone on the territory of Ukraine at such a distance from which it would be impossible to reach our territory."
The president acknowledged the need for Russia to fortify its border with Ukraine, which is currently underway, adding that the border must be strengthened and ensure the security of citizens.
