Putin Rejects Ukraine Talks Over Ammunition: Moscow's Stance Revealed
Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, has dismissed the notion of commencing negotiations with Ukraine solely due to its limited ammunition reserves.
In an interview with the Russian state press published on March 13th, Putin stated that Moscow is only willing to negotiate "based on the reality on the ground," as reported by The Kyiv Independent.
"We are, however, prepared for a serious conversation... not about a pause that the enemy wishes to take for rearming, but rather a serious conversation with security guarantees for Russia," Putin conveyed this in the interview.
He did not specify what these "guarantees" should encompass.
According to the Ukrainian press, Kiev is experiencing a significant shortage of ammunition, as the $60 billion US support, a crucial military donor, remains blocked due to disputes in Congress.
Many critics of Western support for Ukraine have contended that providing weapons to Kiev "unnecessarily extends the war," asserting that peace would arrive sooner if the flow of arms ceased.
It is noteworthy that Russian troops advanced in eastern Ukraine last month, seizing the critical frontline city of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.
A document outlining the failed peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev in 2022, seen by journalists from the Wall Street Journal, suggests that Russia's peace terms encompass stringent limitations on Ukraine's armed forces and a prohibition on joining military blocs like NATO.
For its part, Ukraine insists that peace negotiations should adhere to its 10-step peace formula, which entails the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.
Moscow has turned down this proposal.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
