Vladimir Putin made a public appearance in military uniform on Wednesday – hours after Donald Trump threatened to ” devastate” Russia’s economy in a chilling warning
Vladimir Putin has threatened to treat hundreds of Ukrainian troops “like terrorists” after they were captured by his army.
The stubborn Russian leader had his forces captured around 430 soldiers in the Kursk region, where Ukraine mounted a surprise counteroffensive last summer. It is claimed the Ukrainian military surrendered under huge pressure on Wednesday.
And Mr Putin, 72, cruelly suggested the soldiers ought to be “treated as terrorists, in accordance with the laws of the Russian Federation.” His remark comes after Donald Trump threatened to “devastate” Russia’s economy” – if the Kremlin does not sign a ceasefire deal.
Mr Trump did not say when he would next speak to his Russian counterpart. However, he added: “I hope he’s going to have a ceasefire. It’s up to Russia now. I’ve gotten some positive messages, but a positive message means nothing. This is a very serious situation, it could start World War Three.”
Mr Putin’s defiant move – the capturing of the troops in Kursk – is his sole response to this so far. However, an influential Kremlin-linked thinktank has advised Mr Putin to weaken the US’ negotiating position with the Ukraine peace deal by stoking tensions between America and the rest of the world, it is thought.
The document, written for the FSB’s Fifth Service, the security service division that oversees operations in Ukraine, lays out ways that Russia could boost its standing by inflaming tensions between the US and both China and the European Union. It states Russia should be working towards “the complete dismantling” of the current Ukrainian government.
And Mr Putin donned military uniform during his trip to Kursk on Wednesday, where he met Russia’s chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov, following the seizing of soldiers.
But in addition to Mr Trump’s bluster, the Russian leader, who has been in power for 13 years, also faced pressure from the UK’s Defence Secretary John Healey on Wednesday. John Healey, who flew to Paris to meet defence chiefs from E5 countries, told Mr Putin: “You said you want to talk, prove it.”
Mr Healey, also MP for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough in South Yorkshire, hailed Tuesday night’s “vital step” after Ukraine accepted a US proposal for a temporary 30-day ceasefire that can be extended by mutual agreement.