© Reuters Putin: Russia aims for a quick end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it will destroy the Patriot missile system
December 23 Financial Associated Press News (Edited by Niu Zhanlin)On Thursday local time, Russian President Vladimir Putin communicated with media representatives in the Kremlin and answered questions about the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Putin stressed that what Russia seeks is not to turn the flywheel of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but to end the war that started already in 2014 after the coup d’état provoked from outside by the United States.
Putin has said that all conflicts will somehow be resolved through negotiations, and sooner or later all conflicting parties will negotiate, and Russia has never refused to negotiate. Putin also said that the increased pace of combat in special military operations has led to battle losses. Russia’s goal is not to accelerate the Russia-Ukraine conflict, but to end it. Russia is committed to ending the conflict, and the sooner the better.
Putin stressed that Russia consumes a large amount of military reserves, but it is very different from the military industry sector of Ukraine, and soon Kiev will have no reserves of weapons.
Regarding US involvement in the situation in Ukraine, Putin said the matter should be looked into more broadly and thoroughly. The US has long been involved in this process, intervening in Soviet and post-Soviet space affairs .
Putin said that the Patriot missile system in the United States is very old, we have ways to deal with it, and we will also attack the Patriot air defense system. “Now they say they can give the Patriots to Ukraine. Well, okay, come on and we’ll take the Patriots too.”
A day earlier, the US government announced that the US would provide Ukraine with $1.85 billion worth of military assistance, including the Patriot air defense missile system.
Regarding the gas price cap, Putin said that this is an attempt at administrative regulation, and if this violates the contract with Russia, we reserve the right to respond. If price caps are imposed, Russia may not honor Gazprom’s deal.
He said that the gas price ceiling will not bring any benefits to the gas industry, the same is true of the oil price ceiling, and the price ceiling will not cause any harm to the Russian economy.
Regarding the bombing of the Nord Stream pipeline, Putin stressed that those who bombed the Nord Stream pipeline wanted Russia to supply natural gas to Europe through Ukraine, and this terrorist act involved state actors.
Putin also said a presidential decree would be signed on December 26 or 27 announcing countermeasures against the West’s cap on the price of Russian oil, and a State of the Union address would be delivered early next year.
On the same day, Putin also signed a presidential decree banning Gazprom and its subsidiaries from conducting certain business transactions with companies and individuals connected to countries that have hostile behavior towards Russia and its citizens before October 1, 2023.
