VLADIMIR Putin has once again kicked the can down the road and risked Donald Trump’s wrath as he said the new US peace plan is only the “basis” for more talks.
He also brushed off claims that Moscow harbours ambitions to push deeper into Europe.
Breaking his silence on the US-brokered deal for the first time, Putin dodged questions about the state of negotiations – a move that risks sparking fresh fury from President Trump.
The Russian leader said Russia is ready for “serious” talks and added that a US delegation, including Steve Witkoff, will visit Moscow next week.
Yet, he also warned that US sanctions against Russian oil companies were destroying any relationship his country has with the US.
Putin went on to say that Russia “doesn’t have any aggressive plans towards Europe” and any suggestion to the contrary was ridiculous.
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Despite these declarations, the Russian war machine is continuing to produce missiles at an alarming rate.
US Army Secretary Daniel P Driscoll reportedly warned of the risk of World War 3 in a meeting with Western diplomats in Kyiv.
And this is one of the reasons why efforts have intensified to tie Russia down to some sort of peace deal.
In doing so, this would hopefully reduce the risk that other European countries could be affected or even worse dragged into the conflict.
While it is unlikely that any pause in hostilities would halt production, putting an end to the conflict may remove the need for the Kremlin to unleash its deadly arsenal on its European neighbours.
It is thought that Russia’s armoury contains an increasing number of hypersonic missiles and drones.
Consequently, Driscoll has strongly advocated for Ukraine to conclude a peace deal as soon as possible.
The latest calculations estimate that Russia can produce almost 3,000 cruise and ballistic missiles a year.
“The launches are not keeping up with production,” said Fabian Hoffmann, a missile expert at the University of Oslo.
Hoffman has also warned that Russian victory could do more than good for the rest of Europe.
“If Russia gets away victoriously from this war, they might feel very adventurous in the future and have a massive stockpile of long-range armaments,” he said.
As if on cue, Putin today made it clear that Moscow had enough firepower to offer weapons to ex-Soviet states in the Russian-led CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation).
Accepting this offering would only further subject these countries to the Kremlin’s will.
Speaking at the CSTO session in Bishkek, Putin said: “We propose launching a large-scale programme to equip the collective forces with modern Russian weapons and technology that have proven their effectiveness during real combat operations [in Ukraine].”
He demanded “increasing the combat readiness of national contingents and improving the command of the collective forces.”
This comes after Putin’s forces carried out overnight strikes on Ukraine despite US-led efforts to get a peace treaty over the line.
A man, 53, was killed in the Sumy region as attacks bombarded civilians in their homes.
Further strikes hit Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and the Odesa regions.
Last week, a 12-year-old girl was amongst 35 people killed in missile strikes on Ternopil.
Ukraine responded with a drone attack on an oil refinery in Novokuybyshevsk.
Across Europe, leaders have started to ramp up efforts to prepare for the possibility of Russian invasion.
In France, Emmanuel Macron announced plans to bolster the military by re-introducing a limited form of military service.
Volunteers will be paid up to €10,000 (£8,000) to join the 10-moth programme.
This is being done in the hope that reservist numbers will grow by up to 50,000 each year.
Macron also announced that France could step up it nuclear deterrent as part of a defensive umbrella against Russia.
Earlier this month, Germany announced every 18-year-old man would be called for military medical tests.
The German armed forced need to recruit another 80,000 professional troops to reach Nato’s target of 260,000.
The country has opted against mandatory conscription, but hopes boosting numbers will give recruits a flavour for military life.
And meanwhile, Germany has reportedly compiled a secret plan for war with Russia.
A massive 1,200-page document has been drawn up by top German officials over the last two years, according to the Wall Street Journal.
It laid out how some 800,000 German, US and other Nato troops would be needed for the frontline in a potential war with Russia.
The plan warned Russia could be ready and willing to attack Nato by 2029.