Ukraine deal will require security pledges, ‘assurances’ for Russia, Putin says
Asked if a “fair deal” with the West is possible, Putin replied: “I don’t trust anyone, but we need assurances.”
Putin warns the West: Russia is ready for nuclear war
Still, he said countries that declared they had no red lines towards Russia should understand that Russia would respond in the same way.
While missiles supplied by the US and the UK cause damage to Russia, they do not change the situation on the battlefield, Putin said. He also dismissed alleged discussions by German officers about striking the bridge linking Russia to Crimea as “nothing more than fantasies”.
Russian media earlier this month published what they said was a conversation between high-ranking German air-force officials about supplying long-range Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly ruled out such a move, saying it would make his country an active participant in the war, amid tensions with allies over the issue that Moscow has sought to exploit.