Putin says he ‘does not want war’ but accuses Ukraine of ‘genocide’
Vladimir Putin has insisted he does not want war in Europe but said Ukraine is responsible for ‘genocide’ in the east of the country.
The Russian president confirmed a decision had been taken to move some forces away from border, a move which has raised hopes of a deescalation.
But he ratcheted up the rhetoric on areas in eastern Ukraine which are held by pro-Moscow forces.
The mixed comments keep the world guessing about whether or not he intends to invade: on the one hand, he suggested there is still room for constructive talks; on the other, he accused Kyiv of human rights abuses against its Russian-speaking population in the Donbas region.
Mr Putin was urged to adopt the breakaway republics in Lukansk and Donetsk by his parliament today, which have been at war with Ukraine since 2014.
The Russian president did not rule out officially recognising them as Russian territory, a move which would effectively end the frozen peace process for good, while simultaneously calling for talks to continue on resolving the situation diplomatically.
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 following Ukraine’s pro-Europe revolution, a move which was condemned by the West but did not result in a military response.
Mr Putin’s comments raise the prospect of similar military action in the Donbas region, despite his insistence that he wants to continue peaceful discussions with the West.
The Russian president detailed the gulf that still remains between Russia and the West on renegotiating defence arrangements on the continent.
He said the military alliance is ‘right on our doorstep’ and reiterated calls for a return to pre-1997 Nato deployments in Europe and for Ukraine to be permanently blocked from joining.
Mr Putin signalled a willingness to begin formal negotiations on bilaterally scaling back the presence of long-range missiles, transparency around military drills and other ‘confidence-building measures’.
But he made it clear this was dependent on the West addressing his core concerns on Nato enlargement, which have already been rejected out of hand by Washington and allies.
The Russian president was speaking alongside German chancellor Olaf Scholz after talks between the pair.
Relations between Munich and Moscow are central to the European response to the Ukraine crisis given Germany’s reliance on Russian gas imports.
Mr Scholz struck a positive tone and concurred with messaging from Boris Johnson and Joe Biden that the window for a peace resolution is still open.
He said: ‘It was right that NATO and the European Union responded to the letters from Russia, and while Russia does not agree with the response, it is a good sign that it says there are a few good points in it.
‘Likewise, NATO, the EU, and we do not agree with the demands of Russia, but we believe there are some points in there that are worth discussing.’
What is going on with Russia and Ukraine?
Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin has been concerned about the West’s military expansion into what it sees as Russia’s backyard.
Nato, the US-dominated military alliance which the UK and the majority of European nations are members of, has expanded over the last two decades to cover eastern European and Baltic states.
Ukraine is recognised as an ‘aspiring member’ and has been growing institutionally closer to the West ever since the 2013 Euromaidan demonstrations led to the pro-Russian government being toppled by protesters who favour deeper ties with Europe.
President Vladimir Putin regards Ukraine - which was part of the Soviet Union until 1991 - as a ‘red line’ and has called on the US and Nato to provide guarantees that it won’t become a member, something the West won’t do.
Russia wants to see Nato returned to something closer to its pre-1997 formation before eastern countries on its border joined, as well as the removal of military capabilities from places like Poland and Romania.
The situation between Russia and Ukraine is complicated by the historical and cultural ties between the two countries. Russian is widely spoken in Ukraine and the country is divided between people who feel more European and those who feel more Russian, especially in the country’s eastern areas.
President Putin regards Ukraine as part of ‘greater Russia’ and has written and spoken in the past about reuniting the Russian and Ukrainian people.
In 2014, Russia responded to the fall of the pro-Russian government in Kyiv by annexing Crimea. The peninsula to the south of Ukraine is still recognised as part of the country by the United Nations. Pro-Russian sepratist militants seized control of other areas in the country’s east. Ukraine estimates 7% of its territory is illegally occupied by Russia.
Armed conflict has rumbled on in parts of Ukraine ever since but a larger invasion appears to be closer now than ever before after Russia amassed huge military resources close to the border.
President Putin insists Russia is not planning to invade and it remains unclear whether the troop movement is a prelude to war or whether the Kremlin is using it to force guarantees on Nato expansion from the West.
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