RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
10,000+ Russian troops paid bonuses for destroying enemy hardware – MOD
More than 10,000 Russian troops have received bonuses for destroying or capturing major enemy weapon systems during the military operation against Ukraine, the Defense Ministry has revealed.
Russian soldiers have been paid between 50,000 and 300,000 rubles ($600 and $3,600) for personally taking out a tank, an artillery gun, a fighter jet, or other piece of military equipment, according to the statistics.
In 2022, 7,064 servicemen merited such remuneration for destroying a total of 11,586 pieces of Ukrainian military equipment. In the first five months of this year, the figures were 3,193 and 4,415, respectively, the ministry said.
The biggest payoffs went to airmen and air defense operators for shooting down enemy jets and helicopters, and to soldiers for destroying Tochka-U and HIMARS rocket launchers. Ukrainian naval drones, which have been used for attacks on Crimea, were valued by the military leadership at $2,400 apiece.
Half of that amount was paid out “for destroying each of the many hundreds of armor” belonging to Ukrainian forces, the statement said. The smallest bonuses were awarded for intercepting enemy rockets and some drones, as well as for taking out armored vehicles and artillery pieces.
The ministry is reviewing reports from the battlefield to decide on bonuses for destroying Leopard tanks and other NATO-produced hardware, it said. Kiev’s foreign backers have supplied dozens of pieces of such equipment in an attempt to strengthen Ukraine’s army ahead of its long-promised counteroffensive, which is now underway.
Some private Russian citizens have also offered bounties to frontline troops. In one recent example, entertainer Grigory Leps said he and several other like-minded people were pooling resources to pay out 1 million rubles ($13,000) for each Western tank destroyed by Russian soldiers.
** Objective of Ukraine’s demilitarization mostly accomplished — Kremlin
The objective of Ukraine’s demilitarization has actually been mostly achieved, as Kiev is using fewer and fewer of its own weapons, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with RT Arabic.
"Indeed, Ukraine was heavily militarized at the time when the [special military operation] started. And, as [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said yesterday, one of the objectives was to demilitarize Ukraine. In fact, this objective has largely been achieved. Ukraine is using fewer and fewer of its weapons. And it is using more and more weapons provided by Western countries," Peskov said.
Key points of Putin’s meeting with African peace mission
Russia is ready to review any proposals from African states on the Ukrainian settlement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, receiving the representatives of seven African states, who arrived to present their peace initiative on Ukraine. Earlier, the African delegation discussed the initiative with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev.
During the talks with Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa presented the 10 main points of the peace plan, which include de-escalation of the conflict on both sides, diplomatic negotiations, ensuring sovereignty of states in accordance with the UN Charter, exchange of captives, post-war reconstruction and others. In response, Putin pointed out that Ukraine has withdrawn from the talks with Russia on its own initiative, although a peace agreement has been preliminarily signed in Istanbul. In addition, Russia was entitled to recognize the independence of DPR and LPR under the UN Charter, Putin noted.
The talks lasted for over 3 hours, and were subsequently commented upon by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Here are the key points from Putin’s conversation with the African leaders.
Africa’s balanced attitude
The African mission included President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Comoros Azali Assoumani (who also currently chairs the African Union), President of Senegal Macky Sall, President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of Egypt Mostafa Madbouly and Special Representatives of Presidents of the Republic of the Congo and Uganda Floran Nsiba and Ruhakana Rugunda.
In the beginning of the negotiations, Putin underscored that the comprehensive development of ties with African states is a priority of Russia’s foreign policy.
"We consistently advocate further strengthening of the traditionally friendly relations with African states and the main regional association - the African Union - based on principles of equality, mutual respect and non-intervention in internal affairs," Putin said.
He added that Russia is open to a constructive dialogue with everyone who desires peace based on principles of justice equity and consideration of legitimate interests of all sides, noting that Russia values the balanced attitude of African countries to the situation in Ukraine and their desire to settle the crisis.
The 10 peace plan points
"We have arrived to listen to you and, through you, to listen to the voice of the Russian people. We would like to motivate you to enter negotiations with Ukraine in order to end this complex problem," Azali Assoumani noted. Macky Sall underscored that Africa wants peace between Russia and Ukraine, which is only possible based on dialogue and compromise.
Meanwhile, Cyril Ramaphosa stated that the time has come to end the conflict in Ukraine. Noting that Africa would like to become a mediator in the search for peace, he presented the plan, which focuses on the 10 main points for its achievement. The plan calls to listen to the positions of both countries; to begin the de-escalation on both sides; to ensure the sovereignty of states and peoples in accordance with the UN Charter; to achieve guarantees of security for all countries; to ensure transportation of both countries’ grain and fertilizer; humanitarian support to people affected by the war; settlement of the issue of exchange of prisoners and repatriation of children; post-war reconstruction and aid to the people affected by the war; closer cooperation with African states.
Russia’s right to recognize Donbass
The Russian President reacted to the presented peace plan, providing explanations of Russia’s position on some of them.
He pointed out that Russia supported the people of Donbass after the "bloody coup" in Ukraine, and had been trying to settle the situation peacefully for a long time.
"It was the Kiev regime who started this war in 20214, and we were entitled to provide [people of Donbass - TASS] with aid, in accordance with the UN Charter Article 51, citing the clause regarding self-defense," Putin underscored.
The preliminarily signed peace treaty
Putin pointed out that the Russian side has never rejected negotiations with Ukraine. It was Ukraine that declared its unwillingness, which was cemented by Zelensky’s decree.
Putin also pointed out that the Ukrainian authorities have preliminarily signed the draft agreement with Moscow, prepared in March, 2022, in Istanbul; however, after Russian forces were withdrawn, Ukraine disregarded the document. The President presented the document, which includes 18 articles and appendixes, to the African leaders. The document included clauses on neutrality and guarantees of security.
"It also touches upon armed forces and other things. It was all written down - up to numbers of vehicles and personnel," Putin disclosed.
Later, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the African leaders were interested to learn about the draft agreement on Ukraine.
Relocation of children
The Russian authorities have relocated children from the conflict area legally and never opposed their reconciliation with facilities, the head of state underscored.
"We were relocating them from the conflict area, saving their lives and health - this is what was happening. No one had any intention to separate any children from their parents. Entire orphanages were relocated totally legally, because orphanage heads were their legal representatives," he said. Putin added that Russian authorities "have never opposed reconciliation of children with their families, if, of course, their relatives show up."
Exchange of captives
The Russian president noted that Moscow cooperates with Kiev on exchange of POWs: "A lot is being done for that, both by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and our other partners and friends. And we are ready to support this process."
Deception instead of grain deal
Putin called the fact that food does not go to African countries in need under the grain deal a deception: "These neo-colonial authorities - European, and, in essence, American ones - once again deceived the international community and African countries in need."
According to Putin, about 31.7 million tons of agricultural products have already been exported from Ukrainian ports under the grain initiative, but only 3.1% of this volume went to developing countries.
The president stated that grain shipments from Ukraine do not solve the hunger problem.
"The crisis on the global food market is not at all a consequence of the special military operation in Ukraine; it started to emerge long before the situation in Ukraine. I emerged because Western states - both the US and European states - engaged in economically unjustified emission in order to solve its problems, connected to the coronavirus pandemic," Putin noted.
Understanding of true reasons
After the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who was also present there, disclosed that the African peace initiative is not cemented on paper yet, but the African leaders displayed understanding of "true, deep reasons behind the current events" and comprehend that the exit from this situation lies in development of special specific actions on elimination of these reasons.
"First of all, [the African states] pointed out the well-known 12 points of the Chinese position, which was presented several months earlier, and they highlighted the parts […] that are close to them and that stipulate that there must be no double standards, that all principles of the UN Charter […] are respected and implemented, that no unilateral sanctions take place, that no one must try to ensure own security at the expense of security of others, that security remains indivisible on the global scale," the Foreign Minister said, underscoring that Russia supports such principal approaches.
According to Kremlins Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Putin and the African representatives are ready for further contacts, although not all clauses of the peace initiative correlate with Russia’s position.
WESTERN PERSPECTIVE
Putin rebuts key elements of African peace plan for Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday gave African leaders seeking to mediate in the war in Ukraine a list of reasons why he believed many of their proposals were misguided, pouring cold water on a plan already largely dismissed by Kyiv.
The African leaders were seeking agreement on a series of "confidence building measures", even as Kyiv last week began a counteroffensive to push back Russian forces from the swathes of southern and eastern Ukraine that they occupy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said after meeting them in Kyiv on Friday that peace talks would require Moscow to withdraw its forces from occupied Ukrainian territory, something Russia has said is not negotiable.
Putin opened Saturday's talks with representatives of Senegal, Egypt, Zambia, Uganda, Congo Republic, Comoros and South Africa in a palace near St Petersburg by stressing Russia's commitment to the continent.
But after presentations from the Comoran, Senegalese and South African presidents, he stepped in to challenge the assumptions of the plan - predicated on acceptance of internationally recognised borders - before the round of statements could go any further.
Putin reiterated his position that Ukraine and its Western allies had started the conflict long before Russia sent its armed forces over the border in February last year, something they deny.
He said the West, not Russia, was responsible for a sharp rise in global food prices early last year that has hit Africa especially hard.
He told the delegation that Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports that Russia has permitted for the past year were doing nothing to alleviate Africa's difficulties with high food prices because they had largely gone to wealthy countries.
And he said Russia had never refused talks with the Ukrainian side, which had been blocked by Kyiv. Moscow has, however, repeatedly said any peace must allow for "new realities", meaning its declared annexation of five Ukrainian provinces, four of which it only partially controls - a red line for Kyiv.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in televised remarks that Moscow shared the "main approaches" of the African plan, but Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying it was "difficult to realise".
Peskov said Putin had shown interest in the plan, whose 10 points South African President Cyril Ramaphosa laid out in his presentation, and Russia would continue dialogue with the African countries.
Lavrov said they had not brought the Russian leader any message from Zelenskiy.
Putin said Moscow was "open to constructive dialogue with anyone who wants to establish peace on the principles of fairness and acknowledgement of the legitimate interests of the parties".
There was no immediate word on the bilateral talks that Ramaphosa, host of a summit in August featuring Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, had said he would have with Putin.
Since the International Criminal Court indicted Putin in March on war crimes charges - which he rejects - South Africa, as a member of the court, finds itself in the awkward position of being obliged to arrest him if he sets foot there.
** Putin says Russia put nuclear bombs in Belarus as warning to West
President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that his deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, something he confirmed for the first time had already happened, was a reminder to the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum in St Petersburg, Putin said Russian tactical nuclear warheads had already been delivered to close ally Belarus, but stressed he saw no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons for now.
"As you know we were negotiating with our ally, (Belarusian President (Alexander) Lukashenko, that we would move a part of these tactical nuclear weapons to the territory of Belarus - this has happened," said Putin.
"The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus. But only the first ones, the first part. But we will do this job completely by the end of the summer or by the end of the year."
The move, Moscow's first deployment of such warheads - shorter-range nuclear weapons that could potentially be used on the battlefield - outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union was intended as a warning to the West about arming and supporting Ukraine, the Russian leader said.
"...It is precisely as an element of deterrence so that all those who are thinking about inflicting a strategic defeat on us are not oblivious to this circumstance," said Putin, using a diplomatic term for a defeat so severe that Russian power would be diminished on the world stage for decades.
Lukashenko, a staunch ally of Putin, said late on Tuesday his country had started taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons that included some three times more powerful than the atomic bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan in 1945.
The Russian leader announced in March he had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, pointing to the U.S deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades.
PUTIN SAYS WEST WANTS STRATEGIC DEFEAT
The United States has criticised Putin's decision but has said it has no intention of altering its own stance on strategic nuclear weapons and has not seen any signs that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon.
The Russian step is nonetheless being watched closely by Washington and its allies as well as by China, which has repeatedly cautioned against the use of nuclear weapons in the war in Ukraine.
Putin said the West was doing everything it could to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia in Ukraine where Moscow is locked in the biggest land war in Europe since World War Two after invading its neighbour last year in what it called "a special military operation."
But Russia had no need to resort to nuclear weapons for now, said Putin, signalling no change in Moscow's nuclear posture which only envisages such a move if the existence of the Russian state is threatened.
"Nuclear weapons have been made to ensure our security in the broadest sense of the word and the existence of the Russian state, but we...have no such need (to use them)," Putin said.
But he said talks with the West to reduce Russia's vast nuclear arsenal, the world's largest, were a non-starter.
"Just talking about this (the potential use of nuclear weapons) lowers the nuclear threshold. We have more than NATO countries and they want to reduce our numbers. Screw them," said Putin.
Sounding defiant as he addressed his country's political and business elite, he said a Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces in Ukraine had so far not had any meaningful success. Kyiv's forces were suffering heavy losses and had "no chance" against Russia's military, he said.
Ukraine would soon run out of its own military equipment, making it totally reliant on hardware supplied by the West, undermining its ability to fight for long, he suggested.
Recalling his stated objectives at the start of the war to "demilitarise" and "denazify" Ukraine, Putin said:
"As for demilitarisation, soon Ukraine will stop using its own equipment altogether. There's nothing left. Everything on which they fight and everything that they use is brought in from the outside. Well, you can't fight like that for long."
