UPDATE ON THE SITUATION – At an economic forum in Vladivostok in the Russian Far East, the Russian president made several statements about the war in Ukraine.
After several major strikes in Ukraine, including one on Tuesday that left more than 50 dead and several hundred injured, Vladimir Putin, on a trip to Vladivostok in the Russian Far East, made several statements. He notably stated that the conquest of the Ukrainian Donbass was “the number one priority” for Russia and that he was ready for negotiations with kyiv, based on the discussions held between the two sides in 2022 in Turkey. The Figaro takes stock of the situation this Thursday, September 5.
Putin says Russia ready for negotiations with Ukraine
Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he was willing to hold talks with kyiv on the basis of those in spring 2022, if Ukraine requests it, while Moscow ruled out any discussion due to the Ukrainian offensive in August against the Kursk region. “Are we ready to negotiate with them? We have never refused”the head of state said at an economic forum in Vladivostok, “If there is a desire to negotiate (in Ukraine), we will not refuse”he added.
He added, however, that the talks should “to rely on the documents that had been agreed upon and which had been de facto initialed in Istanbul” in the spring of 2022. These texts mentioned by Vladimir Putin have never been made public, and the Ukrainian side has always denied any agreement. Russia has been trying for months to present kyiv as the party to the conflict that refuses to negotiate. Moscow has also regularly changed its position on the conditions of such talks.
After Ukraine launched an offensive on August 6 in Russia’s Kursk region, the Kremlin said talks to end the conflict were impossible. “at this stage”. Before that in June, Vladimir Putin had said that he would end the conflict only if Ukraine gave up its ambition to join NATO and gave up the four Ukrainian regions it claims in addition to the annexed Crimean peninsula, which would constitute a de facto capitulation for kyiv. Regarding the spring 2022 talks in Istanbul, Moscow claims that a compromise was initialed, but that the West pushed kyiv to reject the agreement. Ukraine denies this version of events.
The conquest of Ukrainian Donbass is “priority number one” for Russia
The conquest of Donbass in eastern Ukraine is “the number one priority” for Russia, the Russian president said on Thursday, also assuring that his army was pushing back Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region. “The enemy’s goal (in attacking the Russian Kursk region) was to make us nervous and agitated to redeploy our troops from one area to another and stop our offensive in key areas, especially in Donbass, the liberation of which is our number one priority.”the head of state said. In the Kursk region, “Our armed forces have stabilized the situation and have begun to gradually expel” the Ukrainian army, he added.
“Did (the Ukrainian tactic) work? No!”Vladimir Putin said, referring to the large-scale Ukrainian offensive in the Russian region of Kursk on August 6. “On the contrary (…) the enemy has weakened in key areas and our troops have accelerated offensive operations” on the eastern front, he welcomed, assuring that Ukraine was suffering there “very heavy losses”. In the Kursk region, Russian forces “stabilized the situation and began to gradually expel” the Ukrainian army, even the Russian president claimed. “The Russian army has a sacred duty to do everything to drive the enemy from its territory and protect its citizens”he concluded.
Zelensky demands ‘tangible results’ after major cabinet reshuffle
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday demanded “tangible results” from his government after the biggest cabinet reshuffle since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022, which notably saw the replacement of the emblematic head of diplomacy Dmytro Kuleba.
Dmytro Kuleba, who was highly regarded by Westerners, was replaced by Andriy Sybiga, a lesser-known diplomat. Several other ministers were dismissed in a reshuffle seen as intended to strengthen the presidency’s grip on the conduct of affairs. “It is crucial that government institutions now function as actively as possible – more actively than before – at all levels”Mr. Zelensky insisted in his daily address.
He instructed his new team to further develop the arms sector, advance negotiations on the EU membership application, ensure Ukraine’s financial stability and provide “increased support for the front line”where kyiv’s forces are under pressure in the east. “There are dozens of very specific tasks of this type, and everyone in their position must deliver tangible results throughout the fall.”he added.
Five Russian military intelligence agents indicted in US over cyberattacks on Ukraine
U.S. prosecutors announced Thursday that they are charging five Russian military intelligence officers for their alleged involvement in a cyberattack targeting Ukrainian government websites in preparation for a 2022 invasion of that country.
The indictment targets these five agents as well as a Russian civilian presented as a hacker, already indicted in June. These six people “are responsible for the series of destructive computer attacks commonly referred to as Whispergate”said the American assistant attorney general for national security, Matthew Olsen, at a press conference in Baltimore.
Tallinn accuses Moscow of cyberattacks on the West since 2020
Estonia on Thursday accused Russia’s GRU military intelligence of carrying out cyberattacks against Ukraine, NATO and EU countries, including Estonia, since 2020. Three Estonian ministries were the targets of major cyberattacks in 2020.
“Estonia attributed the attacks to members of Unit 29155 of the Russian military intelligence service (GRU).”the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “A national and international investigation conducted in ten countries showed that Russia’s goal was to damage national computer systems, obtain sensitive information and strike at our sense of security.”Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, according to the statement. The Estonian prosecutor’s office said that the GRU unit “has acquired cyber capabilities and launched cyberattacks against Ukraine, as well as against NATO and EU member states, including Estonia, since 2020”.
