Won’t end campaign until Ukraine stops fighting: Russian President Putin

TIL Desk/World/Moscow/ Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered an ominous warning Sunday, telling Ukraine the ‘military operation’ that has killed hundreds (potentially thousands) already would only stop if Kyiv laid down arms and met all of the Kremlin’s demands. Putin’s thinly-veiled threat was part of a telephone call with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, to whom he said Ukraine would be better advised to adopt a ‘constructive’ approach to the third round of peace talks.

Putin, whose comments were published in a Kremlin readout of the call, said his ‘special operation’ in Ukraine – denounced today by Pope Francis as a ‘war’ that had led ‘rivers of tears and blood’ – was going according to plan and to schedule. “It was underlined the suspension of the special operation is only possible if Kyiv stops… and carries out well-known Russian demands,” the Kremlin said.

Russia invaded Ukraine February 24 citing national security concerns over Kyiv’s closeness to Western powers and move to join the NATO. The day after Russia said it was ready to talk if Ukraine ‘lays down arms’. But a belligerent Moscow has insisted its attacks will not end till Ukraine’s military capabilities are destroyed and the country purged of ‘neo Nazis’.