Putin sticks to Russian demands on Ukraine, says EU robbery failed

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin of Russia offered no compromise on Friday on his terms for ending the war in Ukraine and accused the European Union of attempting “daylight robbery” of Russian assets.As US President Trump seeks an end to Europe’s deadliest conflict since WWII, Putin said the onus was on Ukraine and Europe to make the next move towards peace. “President Trump is making serious efforts to end this conflict. He is doing so with complete sincerity,” Putin said. “The ball is entirely in the court of our Western opponents, primarily the leaders of the Kyiv regime, and in this case, first and foremost, their European sponsors.

We are ready for both negotiations and a peaceful resolution to the conflict.”Trump is pushing for a peace deal on terms that Ukraine and its European allies fear will be slanted towards Russia. Kyiv has long called for a ceasefire and said it does not believe that Putin, who sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in Feb 2022, is serious about seeking peace.

A marathon press conference

Putin was addressing an annual press conference and “Direct Line” phone-in that ran for almost 4-1/2 hours.

While Ukraine was the dominant topic, the event was punctuated by bizarre moments and occasional barbed comments from ordinary Russians whose text messages were flashed up on a big screen in the hall. “Not a direct line but a circus,” one message read. Others complained about internet outages, dirty tap water and the cost of living.Putin said Russia’s terms for ending the war in Ukraine were those he set out in a speech in June 2024, when he demanded Ukraine abandon its ambition of joining Nato and withdraw entirely from four regions Russia claims as its own territory.

Kyiv says it will not cede land that Moscow’s forces have failed to capture in nearly four years of war.

‘Shadow fleet’ tanker hit: Kyiv

A Ukrainian official said on Friday Ukraine had struck a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea with aerial drones for the first time, reflecting the growing intensity of Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil shipping.

‘Illegitimate leader’

Putin says Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is an illegitimate leader. Zelensky’s mandate expired last year but Ukraine, under martial law as it fights Russian forces, is constitutionally prevented from holding new elections.If an election were held, Putin said, Russia would be ready to consider a halt to strikes deep inside Ukraine while people voted. He said 5-10 million Ukrainians living in Russia should be allowed to take part.

‘Daylight robbery’

Putin was speaking hours after European Union leaders set aside a plan to use frozen Russian assets as backing for a loan to Ukraine, deciding instead to borrow cash to help fund Kyiv’s defence against Russia for the next two years.The EU leaders said they reserved the right to use Russian assets to repay the loan if Moscow fails to pay war reparations to Ukraine. Putin said the bloc had backed away from the original scheme because it would have faced serious repercussions, and it had damaged its status as a safe place to store assets. “Theft is not the appropriate term... It’s daylight robbery. Why can’t this robbery be carried out? Because the consequences could be grave for the robbers,” he said.