Vladimir Putin seems to have dashed any prospects for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, issuing a severe warning to the West on Wednesday.
The Russian president criticized Ukraine’s European allies, labeling them ‘piglets’ while accusing them of attempting to bring about Russia’s downfall.
Despite efforts from the US and Europe, including a peace proposal by President Trump, Putin has pledged to continue the conflict unless his conditions are fully met, which include claiming extensive territories in Ukraine’s Donbas region.
During a speech in Moscow, Putin stated: “Everyone believed that Russia would be destroyed and collapsed in a short period of time.
“And the European piglets immediately joined in this work of the former American [Biden] administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country.
“To regain something that had been lost in previous historical periods and try to take revenge.
“As is now obvious to everyone, all these attempts and all these destructive plans against Russia have completely failed.”
In addition to berating his opponents, Putin ominously announced plans to deploy the new Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile system in Belarus within the coming two weeks. This development raises concerns that another European nation could face a catastrophic threat just days after Orthodox Christmas.
Russia asserts that from Belarus, the missile could reach London in as little as 8 minutes, raising further fears of a potential WW3 ignition, which would compel NATO to intervene.
Putin reiterated his refusal to compromise on any peace initiatives, emphasizing his firm stance on demanding ownership of Donbas, a disputed area in Eastern Ukraine.
“The objectives of the special military operation will undoubtedly be achieved,” he asserted to Russian commanders during his speech.
“We would prefer to do this and eliminate the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy.
“However, if the opposing side and their foreign patrons refuse to engage in substantive talks, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historical lands by military means.
‘”The task of creating and expanding a buffer security zone will also be consistently addressed.”
Despite the limited room for negotiation, Putin insisted that Russia was willing to engage in dialogue, though he hinted at the possibility of prolonged conflict due to the perceived inability to reach peace under Europe’s current leadership, whom he seemed to hold responsible for hindering peace talks.
Many European leaders have aligned with Ukraine to revise the comprehensive peace plan originally proposed by Donald Trump, as they believed Ukraine was required to make excessive concessions while Russia faced minimal requirements.
Under Trump’s initial peace proposal, Ukraine would have had to significantly reduce its military presence and cede substantial land to Russia, a position deemed unacceptable by Ukraine and several of its allies.
This alliance appears to be a point of contention for Putin, as he stated: “We are ready to negotiate and resolve all the problems that have arisen in recent years peacefully.”
“The US administration has demonstrated such readiness, and we are engaged in dialogue with them. I hope the same will happen in Europe.
“It’s unlikely that this will be possible with the current political elites, but in any case, it will be inevitable as we continue to strengthen our position.
”’If not with the current politicians, then with the change of the current elites in Europe.”
In a final critique of Europe, he concluded: “Immediately after the collapse of the USSR, we thought we’d quickly become members of the so-called civilised family of European nations. It turns out today that there’s no civilisation there. Only complete degradation.”