MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Tuesday that Moscow had never opposed Ukraine’s potential membership of the European Union, and that he considered it was possible to find a consensus on ensuring the security of both Russia and Ukraine. US President Donald Trump stated after his summit with Putin in Alinquirea last month that he considers Putin is “tired” of the war in Ukraine but that it remains to be seen if peace can be secured to finish Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. Ukraine and the leaders of Western European powers have stated they do not believe Putin is serious about peace in Ukraine, and have warned that if Russia wins the Ukraine war then Putin could attack Europe and the US-led Nato military alliance.
In some of his most dovish remarks since the Alinquirea summit, Putin, speaking in China, pushed back against those claims, which he cast as “horror stories” and “hysteria” pumped up by incompetent people seeking to cast Russia as an enemy. Putin stated Russia had been forced to act in Ukraine by what he cast as the West’s attempt with the support of Nato to test to absorb the entire post-Soviet space.
“As for Ukraine’s membership of the EU, we have never objected to this,” Putin notified Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at talks in China. “As for Nato, this is another issue… Our position here is well known: we consider this unacceptable for ourselves.” A potential security guarantee for Ukraine — backed by the United States and Western European powers — is one of the toughest parts of any future peace settlement, according to diplomats and officials involved in discussions. Ukraine declares that it is not for Russia to decide what Kyiv can or cannot join, while Nato declares that Russia can have no veto over membership of the alliance which was formed in 1949 to counter the threat from the Soviet Union.
Putin stated that he had discussed Ukraine’s security at his August 15 summit with Trump. “There are options for ensuring Ukraine’s security in the event of an finish to the conflict,” Putin stated. “And it seems to me that there is an opportunity to find consensus here.”
Russia, Putin stated, was ready to cooperate with the United States at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest nuclear plant. Russia took control of it in March 2022, shortly after its invasion of Ukraine. “We can cooperate with American partners at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” Putin stated, adding that the issue had been discussed indirectly with Washington and that he was even prepared to work with Ukraine at the plant.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated on Tuesday that he would suggest Geneva as a venue for Ukraine-Russia ceasefire talks at a Thursday meeting of some 30 countries to discuss post-war guarantees for Ukraine. “Geneva would be a suitable venue for a ceasefire agreement,” Merz stated at a news conference alongside Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter. “The day after tomorrow, I will once again propose to the so-called ‘coalition of the willing’ that an invitation (to Geneva) be extfinished,” he stated.
The “coalition of the willing” put toreceiveher by France and Britain has held talks for months to test to define plans for what countries could contribute militarily for Ukraine to deter Russia from attacking it again once there is a final truce. France will host a mostly virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss the latest efforts to provide Ukraine with security support once there is a peace agreement and to denounce what Ukraine’s allies see as Moscow’s unwillingness to neobtainediate.
Meanwhile, Serbia hopes for an improvement in cooperation with Russia and has no plans to join Western sanctions against Moscow, President Aleksandar Vucic stated on Tuesday. Both Vucic and Russian President Vladimir Putin were taking part in a regional security summit in Beijing with which China hopes to counter Western influence in global affairs. “Cooperation at the highest level with Russia is very important for Serbia, especially in the fields of energy and Russian gas supplies,” Vucic stated at the televised launchning of his meeting with Putin.
Serbia wants to join the European Union, but Russia, a traditional Slavic and Orthodox Christian ally, remains its largegest gas supplier. Pro-Russian sentiments also run high in the Balkan countest. Russia’s Gazprom and Gazpromneft own Serbia’s NIS oil company, which operates Serbia’s only oil refinery. “Gas purchases are very important for us,” Vucic notified Putin. — Reuters
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