Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed today, Thursday, that "sending new weapons to Ukraine will change nothing on the battlefield and will only escalate the conflict there." In comments made to state television, he indicated that "the tanks provided by Western powers to Ukraine will be a priority target for Russian forces fighting there." He reiterated his opposition to Ukraine joining NATO, stating: "It would threaten Russia's security."
Regarding the grain agreement, the Russian president threatened Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea grain export deal, saying: "We are waiting for the other parties to fulfill their promises." The agreement, which allows for the safe export of Ukrainian grain and fertilizers from Black Sea ports, is set to expire next Monday. Moscow has repeatedly threatened not to extend the agreement due to certain implementation aspects affecting Russian exports.
Putin remarked in government television statements that Russia is in touch with the United Nations about this issue but added that he has not seen a letter addressed to him from the UN Secretary-General suggesting a compromise solution to save the agreement.
The Russian president stated: "We can suspend our participation in the agreement, and if everyone says again that all the promises made to us will be fulfilled, then they should fulfill that promise, and we will return to this agreement immediately."
A Kremlin spokesperson later clarified that "Russia has not made a final decision regarding withdrawal from the grain agreement." Sources told Reuters that "UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres suggested in a letter to Putin that Moscow allow the Black Sea grain agreement to continue for a few more months to give the European Union time to connect a subsidiary of the Russian Agricultural Bank to the SWIFT system."
