Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that the EU is “failing to implement” the expropriation of frozen Russian assets. Commenting on discussions in the EU about the expropriation of frozen Russian assets at an annual news conference in Moscow, Putin said the effort was being held back by the severe consequences that would be faced by the perpetrators themselves, arguing that “theft” was an inappropriate definition for what the EU was trying to do.
“Theft is secret appropriation, while they are trying to do it openly. It is robbery,” he said. Putin warned that such actions were fraught with “terrible consequences for the robbers,” adding: “It is not only a blow to the image, but also undermines global trust.”
All that is needed is to take the first step, and then it can be extended to other countries under various pretexts, he said.
As an example, he cited the legal frameworks in some Muslim countries, where strict laws are being passed to protect traditional values, noting that the EU may have some problems with them.
“You just have to start doing it, and then you can do it under various pretexts. For example, someone may not like the laws in some Muslim countries, which have strict laws to protect their traditional values,” he noted.
Russia, for its part, will continue to defend its interests primarily in the courts and will find a jurisdiction that will be independent, he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has returned to the topic of the war in Ukraine after answering a series of questions during a public address on internal issues in Russia, including some unusual ones, such as those related to aliens. The focus of his latest statements, however, has been on international relations, primarily the war in Ukraine and the role of the United States in trying to end the conflict.
Trump praised for “sincere efforts” to end the war
Putin praised, as he put it, US President Donald Trump’s “serious and sincere efforts” to bring the war in Ukraine to an end. According to him, Trump is showing a genuine desire to reach a political solution and end the armed conflict. The Russian president stressed that Moscow does not reject peace initiatives, and that during recent talks with the US side, held in Anchorage, Russia was asked to make certain compromises.
Although Putin did not specify what exactly the compromises were, he stated that Russia had “basically agreed to them”, which is why he believes that accusations that Moscow is blocking the peace process are unfounded. “To say that we reject something or that we oppose the agreement – that is inappropriate and without any basis,” Putin said.
“The ball is in the court of the West and Kiev”
According to him, the responsibility for the further course of the negotiations now lies with the West, the Ukrainian political leadership and Kiev’s European allies. “The ball is completely in the court of our so-called Western opponents, led by the Kiev regime and their European sponsors,” Putin said, repeating a narrative that the Kremlin has long used to shift responsibility for the continuation of the war onto Ukraine and its allies.
Disparaging Zelensky’s Kupyansk Video
Putin also addressed a recent video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was posted on social media during his visit to the town of Kupyansk, near the front line. The Russian president disparaged the video, calling Zelensky “an actor, and a talented one at that,” noting that the video was not actually filmed in the town itself, but at a monument that, as he said, is located about a kilometer from the city center.
“If the city is really under their control, why doesn’t he enter the city itself?” Putin asked, trying to question Kiev’s claims about the situation on the ground and control of the territory.
During the conference, the first question from foreign media to Putin was posed by NBC News journalist Keir Simmons. He asked the Russian president whether he would feel responsible for the deaths of Ukrainian and Russian civilians and soldiers if he rejected the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump.
“Russia did not start the war”
Putin responded negatively, repeating the well-known claim that “Russia did not start this war”. This is a statement that the Russian president has been repeating for years, despite the fact that Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in 2014, incited an armed conflict in the eastern part of Ukraine, in the Donbas region, supported the formation of pro-Russian separatist entities, and finally, in February 2022, launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In this part of his address, Putin again praised Trump, emphasizing his “sincerity” in his efforts to end the war, and rejected claims that Moscow was obstructing the peace process. “It is incorrect to say that we are rejecting something. The ball is in the hands of our Western opponents”, the Russian president repeated.
However, the reality on the ground and the course of the negotiations so far show that Moscow has not deviated from its key demands. Russia continues to insist on territorial concessions from Ukraine, in particular demanding that Kiev withdraw from parts of eastern Ukraine, including the Donbass region, which is internationally recognized as part of Ukrainian territory.
Although new talks between US and Russian officials have been announced for the coming weekend, there is no indication yet that the Russian side is ready to change its position or make any significant concessions. Despite diplomatic efforts, the war in Ukraine remains one of the most serious international conflicts of our time, with profound consequences for global security, energy stability, and international relations, AA writes.
