Putin: "Peace talks face dead end... Military operation will not stop"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin described the peace negotiations with Ukraine as having hit a "dead end" and stated that the military operation would continue. Regarding the issue of civilian massacres, which has drawn increasing condemnation from the international community, he dismissed it as "fake news."

On the 12th (local time), according to Russia's TASS news agency, President Putin, during a press conference held after a summit with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Oblast, Far East Russia, to commemorate Russia's "Cosmonautics Day," said, "Peace negotiations have hit a dead end, and there is no choice but to continue the military operation," adding, "We will not stop the military operation until the goal of protecting Donbas is achieved."

Regarding the civilian massacre reportedly carried out by Russian troops in Bucha, Ukraine, he asserted, "Just as the U.S. intelligence that invaded Iraq on the grounds of weapons of mass destruction was fake news, the information about Bucha is the same kind of fake news." President Putin emphasized, "President Lukashenko has provided intercepted communications data about who and how this provocation was prepared." This reiterated Russia's claim that the civilian massacre was a staged act by Ukraine and the West.

On the timeline for the military operation in Ukraine, President Putin stated, "It depends on the intensity of the fighting, and the intensity of the fighting is inevitably linked to losses," adding, "Our task is to achieve all set objectives while minimizing losses." He continued, "We will calmly implement the plan initially proposed by the General Staff," emphasizing, "The military operation is proceeding as planned."

Meanwhile, on the Ukrainian side, there are claims that Russian forces used chemical weapons during the southern Mariupol offensive. The Ukrainian Azov Regiment, defending Mariupol, alleged that Russian forces dropped toxic substances on civilians using drones, and those exposed to the substances suffered from respiratory difficulties and neurological problems.

While Russia strongly denies the use of chemical weapons, the U.S. government has also suggested the possibility of Russian chemical weapon use. According to CNN, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at a press conference that "there is credible information that Russian forces may have used various riot control agents, including tear gas mixed with chemical agents that cause severe symptoms, as part of their attack to take control of Mariupol and to incapacitate surrounded Ukrainian fighters and civilians."

However, Secretary Blinken did not specify whether the chemical agents possibly used by Russian forces were at the level of weapons used in chemical warfare or merely at the level of riot control agents. He added, "I am not in a position to confirm this."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.