Putin: "Ukraine's Counterattack Is Not Delayed but a Failure... Never Refused Negotiations"

Breaking Through Ukraine's First Defense Line Ceremony
Black Sea Grain Initiative Negotiations Ultimately Fail

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently bluntly stated that the Ukrainian military's breakthrough of the first line of defense in Russian-occupied territory was a "failed counterattack." Regarding the issue of returning to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an took the lead on, he said that Russia has never refused negotiations but rejected returning to the agreement, claiming that the agreed terms have not been implemented.

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

According to TASS news agency on the 4th (local time), President Putin, after concluding a summit with President Erdo?an in Sochi, Russia, said at a press conference, "Ukraine's counterattack is not delayed but has failed," adding, "We will see what happens next, but this situation will continue."

This remark is interpreted as a response to Ukraine's recent announcement that its forces had broken through the first line of defense in Russian-occupied territory. The Putin administration has been more sensitive than before about the frontline situation as reports from both inside and outside Russia indicate continued difficulties for Russian forces.

On the same day, the negotiations for returning to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, led personally by President Erdo?an of T?rkiye, ended without significant progress. President Putin stated, "Russia has never refused negotiations and is ready to resume the grain agreement at any time," adding, "If all agreed terms are fulfilled, we will implement it immediately." However, he refused to return to the agreement, claiming that Ukraine is not properly implementing the agreed terms.

Earlier, on July 17, Russia refused to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative and unilaterally withdrew from the agreement. Russia used the attack on the Crimean Bridge by Ukrainian forces and drone attacks on the Moscow area as pretexts to refuse the extension.

President Erdo?an and President Putin, along with their respective delegations, discussed various agendas for 90 minutes and then held a separate bilateral meeting for another 90 minutes, but it is assessed that they failed to find any significant breakthrough.

President Putin emphasized, "The West must take measures such as easing sanctions, resuming imports of agricultural equipment and parts, and connecting banking and insurance services for Russia's grain and fertilizer exports, but they are not resolving these issues," adding, "We were forced to withdraw from the agreement." This reiterated Russia's previous position that sanctions against Russia must be lifted first before returning to the agreement.

President Erdo?an said, "T?rkiye believes that a solution meeting expectations can be reached in a short time." Despite the failure of this negotiation, it is expected that clues to resuming the grain agreement will emerge again at the upcoming G20 summit to be held in India on the 9th.

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