Moscow, Dec 2. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected European peace proposals for Ukraine, just before meeting with White House envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin. They themselves abstain from peace negotiations while at the same time putting obstacles in the way of President (of the US, Donald) Trump. I have said this hundreds of times, Putin asserted. He also again denied that Russia intends to attack any European country, but added that "if Europe suddenly wants to fight and does so, we are ready right now." Putin denounced that European countries, mainly referring to France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, include in the aforementioned plan demands "absolutely unacceptable" for Moscow, with the sole purpose of "blocking the entire peace process." "They understand this themselves and that is why they blame Russia for rejecting this peace process," he added. "They are in favor of the war," he told the local press after speaking at a forum organized by VTB bank. "They have no peace agenda," Putin emphasized. The Russian president also accused Europeans of living "under the illusion" that they can inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, while insisting that the Russian army has already taken the stronghold of Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region, its biggest victory in over three years of war, something that Kiev denies. "They present demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia. There should be no doubt about this," Putin concluded.
