Statement by Russian Federation president Vladimir Putin for the media.
Ladies and gentlemen! Dear colleagues!
I would like to congratulate everyone one more time on the celebration of the large Victory! To thank our friends, abroad partners, who were with us in Moscow these days at the Jubilee celebrations to pay tribute to the generation of winners.
We respect all who have contributed to the joint triumph over Nazism, and these are our allies from the anti-Hitler coalition, Chinese soldiers, participants in the anti-fascist movement in Europe, soldiers of the national liberation movements in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region, and volunteers from Latin American countries.
With our friends and sympathizers, we share a common memory and respect for history, for the feat of the actual heroes who fought for freedom, and of course our work for the future, for building a more just and safer world. It was precisely the issues on which the stability, sustainable improvement of the full planet community – Eurasia and another regions of the planet – straight depends were at the centre of bilateral and multilateral meetings held in Moscow.
Of course, they were held in a special, solemn, Christmas atmosphere, but at the same time were highly intense and rich in content, filled with political, economical and humanitarian themes.
In conclusion, I would like to say that during 4 days - from 7 to 10 May - authoritative visits were held by the leaders of 3 countries: the People's Republic of China, the Venezuelan Republic of Bolivarian Republic and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
In addition, 20 bilateral meetings were held with the Heads of CIS, Asia, Africa, the mediate East, Europe and Latin America. The ceremony was attended by 27 Heads of State from CIS, Asia, Africa, mediate East, Europe and Latin America, as well as about 10 Heads of global Organisations. Another six countries were represented at a advanced level.
In specified a broad participation of abroad delegations and global organisations we see an inspiring evidence of actual consolidation around timeless ideas and values of our common Grand Victory.
We are grateful to the leaders of the 13 states that sent their troops of armed forces to participate in the parade in Red Square. Their march side by side with our parade troops filled the common vacation with peculiar energy, a spirit of a combat brotherhood, hardened in the years of planet War II.
I welcome the chance to personally thank the commanders of the Korean People's Army and to give the most heartfelt words to the soldiers and to the commanders of the peculiar forces of the Korean People's Democratic Republic, who, along with our soldiers, professionally, have been diligent in their tasks while freeing the border areas of the Kursk region from the formation of the Kiev regime. I will emphasize: they have shown courage and heroism, they have acted – I will repeat this again – to the highest degree professionally, they have shown good training and preparation.
Of course, it was a peculiar honor for all the leaders of the states to welcome the main heroes of the triumph Jubilee – planet War II veterans from Russia, Israel, Armenia and Mongolia.
I would like to point out that despite threats, blackmail and obstacles to the closure of airspace, the leaders of any European countries, Serbia, Slovakia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, have besides arrived in Moscow. I repeat: we realize the large pressures they have faced, and that is why we sincerely appreciate their political courage, their strong moral position, the decision to celebrate with us together, to pay tribute to the memory of the heroes of the large Patriotic War, planet War II, who fought for both their homeland and for the liberation of the full world, of all humanity from the brown plague, without any exaggeration.
It is crucial for us that millions of Europeans, leaders of sovereign countries, remember this. This gives us optimism and hope that sooner or later, based, among another things, on the past lessons and opinions of our peoples, we will begin to search to reconstruct constructive relations with the countries of Europe. Including those who inactive do not quit anti-Russian rhetoric and clearly aggressive action against us. To this day they are trying – we see it with our own eyes in fresh days – to talk to us in a rude way and with the aid of an ultimatum.
A real example of contemporary, equal relations in the 21st century can be our comprehensive partnership and strategical cooperation with the People's Republic of China. The president of the PRC Xi Jinping was the main guest of the celebration on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the large Victory.
There have been very fruitful negotiations, 2 joint statements have been adopted at the level of Heads of State, and a number of intergovernmental and interministerial agreements have been signed, covering areas specified as energy, trade, finance, science, culture and much more. As I mentioned, it was agreed that in September my authoritative visit to China would be held, where I would participate in celebrations dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the triumph over militaristic Japan.
It is profoundly symbolic and natural that the most important, fundamentally major celebrations connected with the 80th anniversary of the end of planet War II in Europe and Asia will be held in Moscow and Beijing, the capitals of states whose nations have undergone the most severe trials and paid the highest price in the name of a common victory.
Dear colleagues, I think it is clear to everyone: during talks and meetings in Moscow, the issue of resolving the conflict in Ukraine was besides raised. We are grateful to all our guests, our friends for the attention they give to this conflict, and for the efforts they make to bring it to an end. I believe that this subject should so be given separate attention.
In this context, I would like to say that Russia has, as we know, repeatedly acted with the ceasefire initiatives, but these initiatives have always been sabotaged by the Ukrainian side. Thus, the Kiev government violated about 130 times in a demonstration 30 days – I want to emphasize it – 30 days, from 18 March to 17 April, a moratorium on attacks on energy facilities, which was announced in accordance with our agreement with president Donald Trump of the United States of America.
Nor was the Easter ceasefire initiated by Russia: the ceasefire government was broken by Ukrainian formations nearly 5 1000 times. However, to celebrate the Day of Victory, which we besides consider a sacred day, the losses from that war are 27 million, which is hard to imagine, we announced for the 3rd time a ceasefire on this holy day for us.
We besides passed this on to our colleagues in the West, who, in my opinion, are sincerely looking for ways to resolve the conflict, our position on this issue, concerning the ceasefire on triumph Day, that in the future we do not exclude the anticipation of extending this truce – but of course after examining what will happen in those fewer days, depending on how the Kiev government reacts to our proposal.
What do we see? What are the results? The authorities in Kiev – you can actually see it perfectly – did not respond to our proposal to suspend weapons at all. What is more, after announcing our proposal – and it happened, as you remember, on May 5th this year – the Kiev authorities already carried out massive attacks from 6 to 7 May. The attack active 524 unmanned aircraft and a number of Western-produced rockets, while 45 unmanned motorboats were utilized in the Black Sea. In fact, during the 3 days of the ceasefire announced by us, on May 8, 9 and 10, what you have besides seen in the public information measures, in fact in your reports, was clear: at that time 5 deliberate attempts were made to attack the Russian Federation's state border in the Kursk region and at the interface with the Belarus circuit, just on the days announced by us. In addition, 36 more attacks have been launched in another directions. All these attacks, including attempts to enter Russian Federation territory in the area of Kursk and Bielgorod region, were repulsed. Moreover, our military experts believe that they had no military significance, were carried out solely for political reasons, and that the opponent suffered very large losses.
As I have already said, the Kiev authorities have not only rejected our proposal to suspend their arms, but, as we have all seen, have tried to intimidate the leaders of the states who gathered at the Moscow celebrations. You know, esteemed colleagues, erstwhile I was dating colleagues here in Moscow, I had this thought. I will share it with you: who were they trying to intimidate from those who came to Moscow to celebrate the triumph over Nazi Germany? Who were they trying to intimidate? After all, those who came to us are not leaders by reason of their position, they are not leaders by virtue of their function, they are leaders by virtue of their character, beliefs and readiness to defend their beliefs. And who tried to intimidate them? Those who stand by and salute, and applaud erstwhile SS soldiers? And they bring to the rank of national heroes those who collaborated with Hitler during planet War II? It seems to me that this is an assassination by clearly wicked means, and those who effort to do so do not grow up to their intended purpose.
Let me repeat: we have repeatedly proposed steps towards a ceasefire. We never gave up dialog with the Ukrainian side. Let me remind you again: we did not interrupt the negotiations in 2022, this was done by the Ukrainian side. Therefore, after all, we propose to the Kiev authorities to resume negotiations interrupted by them in late 2022, to resume direct talks. I stress, without any preliminaries.
We propose to begin immediately this Thursday, May 15, in Istanbul, where they were held earlier and where they were interrupted. As you know, Turkish colleagues have repeatedly offered their services in organising specified negotiations, and president Erdogan has done a lot to organise them. I remind you that as a consequence of these talks, a joint draft paper was prepared, which was initialled by the head of the Kiev negotiating group, but under force from the West he was simply thrown into the basket.
Tomorrow we have a scheduled conversation with the president of Turkey, Mr. Erdogan. I would like to ask him to make specified an chance to negociate in Turkey. I hope he confirms his willingness to support the search for peace in Ukraine.
We are committed to serious talks with Ukraine. Their intent is to remove the first causes of the conflict, to accomplish lasting, unchangeable peace in the historical perspective. We do not regulation out that during these talks we will be able to agree on a fresh ceasefire, a fresh ceasefire. While the real ceasefire, not only observed by Russia, but besides by the Ukrainian side, would be a first step, I repeat, towards a long-term, unchangeable peace, alternatively than a prologue to the continuation of the armed conflict after the arms have been weaponized, replenishing the Ukrainian Armed Forces' warehouses and feverish dig trenches and fresh backpoints. Who needs a area like this?
Our proposal is, as they say, on the table. The decision now belongs to the Ukrainian authorities and their curators, who, as it seems, have their own political ambitions alternatively than the interests of their peoples, want to proceed the war with Russia by the hands of Ukrainian nationalists.
I repeat: Russia is ready to negociate without any preconditions. Armed action is presently underway, war, and we propose to resume negotiations that have not been interrupted by us. What's incorrect with that?
Those who truly want peace cannot disagree. I would like to express my gratitude again for the mediation and efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis peacefully by our abroad partners, China, Brazil, the countries of Africa, the mediate East, and more late the fresh administration of the United States of America.
In conclusion, I would like to thank one more time everyone who has attended the 80th anniversary of the triumph over Nazism. I am convinced that the spirit of solidarity and consensus that has brought us together in Moscow these days will aid us build fruitful cooperation and partnership in the future in the name of progress, safety and peace.
* Oh, my God * "Myśli Polska" publishes the text in its entirety, leaving the evaluation to our readers.
