The BRICS Kazan Summit concluded on Thursday. Moderator Vladimir Putin seemed satisfied – many in the West are now annoyed with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Overview of the most important points.
October 25, 2024 07:16October 25, 2024 12:16
Putin: Russia has control over Ukraine
According to President Putin, the Russian military continues to have the upper hand in its war of aggression against Ukraine and has recently achieved further victories on the battlefield.
Vladimir Putin speaks at the BRICS summit in Kazan.Image: trapezoid
He said that most of the Ukrainian armed forces have been surrounded in the Kursk region on Russia's western border. Putin said: “About 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers are trapped in the Kursk region.” Although Ukraine is working to restore contact with these forces, the Russian military is clearing this unit. Putin also said Russian forces were making progress on all fronts on the front lines in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers who invaded Russian territory in a counterattack will also be forced out.
He had previously highlighted the military achievements of the Russian army to heads of state and government attending the BRICS summit. The federation is named after its first members: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It now also includes Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Agreed to negotiate – but…
At the end of the BRICS summit in Russia, the Kremlin chairman also spoke of China and Brazil's clear desire to resolve the conflict peacefully. Putin said at the final press conference of the summit in the city of Kazan on the Volga that they were still willing to negotiate, but only under certain conditions.
Putin said Russia was making good progress on the front lines.Image: trapezoid
Putin mentioned that China and Brazil hope to see the conflict resolved peacefully and that Russia has never refused to negotiate. But the discussion must be based on “actual conditions on the ground.” He once again rejected Kiev's demands for a complete withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. Russian forces occupy about a fifth of Ukraine, including the Crimean peninsula on the Black Sea that was annexed in 2014.
However, if the negotiations are based on the current direction of the battle lines, this will fall short of what Moscow has proposed so far for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from the eastern and southeastern regions of Ukraine such as Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporozhye. requirements. . So far, Russian forces only partially control the areas, even though Russia annexed them two years ago and declared them its own national territory.
Putin tells North Koreans: 'This is our business'
The Kremlin leader responded evasively to reports that thousands of North Korean soldiers were being sent to reinforce Russian troops. But he didn't want to see problems. Russia and North Korea have entered into a strategic partnership, a treaty that includes provisions for mutual military assistance. “We never doubted that the North Korean leadership would take our agreement seriously. What we will do within the framework of this article is our business,” Putin said in Kazan. Negotiation about article design is still necessary. How this will play out remains to be seen.
Putin responded to a question from an American journalist who pointed to satellite images of North Korean troop deployments. «Recording is a serious matter. If there are images, it means they reflect something,” Putin said. Things didn't get any clearer.
Putin also said that Western countries no longer only provide weapons and satellite information, but also deploy trainers and officers in Ukraine to support the country's armed forces. According to Putin, Russia also has the right to seek help from other countries.
Strong warning about questionable troop aid
The United States and European countries warned of a further escalation in the conflict after reports that North Korean soldiers were being sent to Russia. The EU foreign policy chief issued a statement on behalf of 27 countries, saying that the deployment of North Korean troops would be a unilateral hostile act and would have serious consequences for peace and security in Europe and the world. Therefore, this would be a serious violation of international law, including the most basic principles of the United Nations Charter.
As for Russia, the statement said that Russia's deepening military cooperation with North Korea shows that although Russia has made clear its willingness to negotiate, it is not sincerely interested in a just, comprehensive and lasting peace. Russia is escalating the situation and desperately seeking all possible help for its war effort, including from actors who are seriously undermining global peace and security.
How the EU will respond to North Korea's direct involvement in Russia's war in Ukraine is questionable. EU Council President Charles Michel sees sending more arms and money to Kiev as an option. Speaking to the European news agency network, the Belgian said the escalation was another reason to provide more military and financial support to Ukraine.
Guterres criticized
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has been criticized for shaking hands with Putin and warmly embracing Belarusian leader Lukashenko following his visit to the BRICS summit.
“The war is entering its third year and the UN secretary-general has shaken hands with the murderers,” Yulia Navalnaya, an opponent of Russia's Putin, wrote on the text message service Penal Camp. Victims.
meeting background
More than 20 heads of state and government, mainly from Africa, Asia and Latin America, attended the Kazan summit. The meeting is the largest meeting of international leaders since Putin ordered the war against Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin says Western attempts to isolate Russia internationally have failed.
(DAB/Sudan Development Authority/Department of Political Affairs)
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