Putin pours cold water on African leaders’ calls for peace talks; Stoltenberg tipped to remain as Nato secretary general
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Vladimir Putin on Saturday gave African leaders pushing for negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow a list of reasons why he believed many of their peace proposals were misguided, pouring cold water on a plan already largely dismissed by Kyiv. The African leaders were seeking agreement on a series of “confidence building measures”, telling the Russian president it was time to negotiate an end to fighting, which they said was harming the entire world.
After presentations from the Comoran, Senegalese and South African presidents, Putin challenged the assumptions of the plan. He reiterated his position that Ukraine and its western allies started the conflict and said Russia had never refused talks with the Ukrainian side, but these had been blocked by Kyiv. Moscow says any peace must allow for “new realities”, meaning its declared but globally unrecognised annexation of five Ukrainian provinces, four of which it only partially controls – a red line for Kyiv.
South Africa’s president told Putin that the fighting had to stop. “This war must be settled … through negotiations and through diplomatic means,” said Cyril Ramaphosa after talks in the suburbs of St Petersburg.
Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Hanna Maliar, confirmed troops were “engaged in active moves” to advance the counteroffensive in the south. Ukrainian forces around Bakhmut, captured by Russia last month, were trying to push Russian forces out from the outskirts of the devastated city. Russia did not officially acknowledge Ukrainian advances and said it inflicted heavy losses on Kyiv’s forces in the previous 24 hours.
Two people died after a Russian missile strike on a village in the Kharkiv region in the north-east of Ukraine, said the regional governor, Oleh Synehubov. Synehubov said on Telegram that Russian forces shelled the village of Huryiv Kozachok. An anti-tank guided missile hit a car driving towards the village, which is near the border with Russia.
Jens Stoltenberg was expected to be asked to remain as Nato secretary general for another year, a Reuters source said. Stoltenberg’s term has been prolonged three times and he is due to step down in September after nine years. The Norwegian had broad support and continued to be an effective leader, said the source, who requested anonymity. The chances of Stoltenberg being asked to stay on have increased as Nato’s summit in Vilnius has neared, with allies fearing any show of disunity during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russia’s defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, visited a military factory in western Siberia and stressed the need “to maintain the increased production of tanks”, the defence ministry said. Agence France-Presse reported that Shoigu said this was necessary “to satisfy the needs of Russian forces carrying out the special military operation” in Ukraine.
Moscow said troops destroyed three drones targeting an oil refinery in the southern border region of Bryansk. The regional governor, Alexander Bogomaz, said: “Russian air defence systems repelled an overnight attack by the Ukrainian armed forces on the Druzhba oil refinery in the district of Novozybkov. Thanks to the professionalism of our military … three aerial drones were destroyed.”
Vladimir Putin confirmed Russia had deployed its first tranche of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. He said nuclear weapons would only be used in the event of a threat to the existence of the Russian state. Speaking at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, the Russian president also said there was a “serious danger” that the Nato military alliance could be pulled further into the Ukraine war.
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