Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed again, Monday, that the Ukrainian counterattack had failed, despite Kiev’s announcement that it had advanced slightly, at a time when he stressed that Moscow would not accept the return of the grain export agreement unless the West adhered to its conditions.
Putin’s remarks came during a joint press conference he held with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
“Counterattack Failed”
Putin said of the Ukrainian counterattack that it had “failed”. “In any case, that is exactly the situation today,” he added. He continued, “We’ll see what happens later, but I hope it stays that way.”
Observers: Cautious American optimism about the Ukrainian counterattack
Kyiv Declaration
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hana Malyar said earlier that Ukrainian forces had regained about 3 square kilometers of land around the eastern city of Bakhmut, which Russian forces seized in May after months of fierce fighting, according to Reuters.
Malyar spoke of an unspecified “success” in the direction of two villages in the Zaporizhia region in the south of the country, but she did not give details.
In June, the Ukrainian army launched a large-scale counterattack in the south and east with the aim of liberating the territories occupied by Moscow, but the Kiev forces are advancing very slowly due to the fortified Russian defenses.
On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that the Ukrainian army had been carrying out “at least 10 days of violent attacks with great numbers and with great hopes.”
He added, “Today, everything is happening exactly as our president said.”
cereal agreement
Regarding the grain agreement, Putin said that the historic agreement that allowed Ukraine to export grain across the Black Sea will not be resumed until the West responds to Moscow’s demands regarding its exports.
Putin added that the West has not removed obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizers.
He stressed that if these commitments are respected, Russia can return to the agreement “within days.”
Russia refused to extend the agreement last July, and complained about the lack of respect for the parallel agreement, which promised to remove obstacles to Russian exports of food and fertilizers.
It said that the obstacles imposed on shipping and insurance hindered its agricultural trade, although it had exported record quantities of wheat since last year.
Russia is calling for a solution to the outstanding issues to revive the stalled grain agreement
Erdogan: The agreement is possible soon
Erdogan, in turn, said the Black Sea grain deal, which the United Nations says helped ease the food crisis, could soon be revived by getting Ukrainian grain to market.
He added, “From Turkey’s point of view, we believe that we will reach a solution that meets expectations in a short period.”
Erdogan said that everyone knows Russia’s aspirations very well, and that the shortcomings of the agreement must be eliminated.
He added that Turkey and the United Nations worked on a new package of proposals to calm Russian concerns.
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2023-09-04 18:01:27
