Russia: Russian President Mr. Vladimir Putin has stated that foreign-made tanks are a “priority target” for Russian forces in Ukraine, adding that the supply of Western weaponry to Kyiv will not change the course of the war.
Mr. Putin further reaffirmed that Ukraine’s membership in NATO would threaten Russia’s security, while the provision of Western arms had only intensified global tensions and prolonged the conflict.
When asked about France’s decision to supply Ukraine with long-range cruise missiles, which can travel 250 kilometres (155 miles), Mr. Putin replied that “yes, they cause damage, but nothing critical happens in the war zone with their use.” The Russian leader added that foreign-made tanks were “a priority target for our guys.
Mr. Putin’s comments came as US President Mr. Joe Biden recently stated that Russia had already lost the war in Ukraine and expressed hope that the ongoing counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces would push Moscow to the negotiation table.
“Mr. Putin’s already lost the war. Mr. Putin has a real problem,” Mr. Biden told at a press conference with Finnish President Mr. Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki. “There is no possibility of him winning the war in Ukraine,” the US President noted.
Mr. Biden then expressed a more positive outlook regarding Ukraine’s potential membership in NATO.
“It’s not about whether or not they should or shouldn’t join. It’s about when they can join, and they will join NATO,” the US leader said about Ukraine.
Mr. Putin’s comments on targeting Western tanks and military assistance to Kyiv were his first public response to the comments made at the NATO summit. In addition, the Russian President reiterated Moscow’s strong opposition to Ukraine ever joining the defence bloc, saying this would threaten Russia’s own strategic interests.
“This will not increase the security of Ukraine itself. And in general, it will make the world much more vulnerable,” Mr. Putin further noted.
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