Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Germany on Wednesday that the usage of its weapons by Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia would mark a “harmful step” and damage relations between Berlin and Moscow.
Germany joined the US lately in authorizing Ukraine to hit some targets on Russian soil with the long-range weapons they’re supplying to Kyiv.
The deliveries of German tanks to Ukraine got here as a shock to many in Russia, he mentioned. “Now in the event that they use missiles to strike services on the Russian territory it can utterly damage Russian-German relations,” he mentioned.
Taking questions from worldwide journalists for the primary time since his inauguration final month to a fifth time period, Putin additionally mentioned nothing will change by way of Russia-US relations no matter whether or not Joe Biden or Donald Trump wins the American presidential election in November.
“We are going to work with any president the American folks elect,” Putin mentioned, talking on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg Worldwide Financial Discussion board.“I say completely sincerely, I wouldn’t say that we imagine that after the election one thing will change on the Russian monitor within the American politics,” he added. “We don’t suppose so. We predict nothing that critical will occur.”
Putin additionally mentioned Trump’s felony conviction at his hush cash trial final week was the results of “the usage of the courtroom system as a part of the inner political wrestle.”
The Russian chief confronted questions on a variety of subjects from senior information leaders of worldwide information businesses, together with The Related Press, though the over two years of combating in Ukraine dominated the session.
Requested about Russian navy losses, Putin mentioned that no nation would reveal that info throughout hostilities however claimed with out offering particulars that Ukraine’s casualties are 5 instances higher than Russia’s.
He additionally mentioned Ukraine has greater than 1,300 Russian troops in captivity, whereas greater than 6,400 Ukrainian troopers are being held in Russia.
The claims couldn’t be independently verified. Putin has used the annual discussion board as a showcase for touting Russia’s growth and in search of buyers. Whereas conferences with journalists have been a part of earlier classes, he has not taken questions from Western journalists on the St. Petersburg occasion since sending troops to Ukraine.
Final 12 months, journalists from international locations that Russia regards as unfriendly — together with the US, the UK and the European Union — weren’t invited, and Western officers and buyers additionally steered away from the session after wide-ranging sanctions have been imposed on Moscow over Ukraine.