US rejects Russia's proposal on Ukraine; Kiev must buy weapons at high prices

The New York Post reported that US Vice President Kamala Harris left the Ukraine conflict summit in Bürgenstock, Switzerland earlier than expected. According to the US politician ’s statements, the meetings at the conference went “very well” and the US fulfilled its responsibilities.

Replacing the US Vice President's role at the conference will be White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

The US has made an uncertain commitment for the AFU to continue fighting. Photo: Reuters

US President Joe Biden has refused to attend a conference in Switzerland, citing fundraising for his presidential campaign scheduled for November.

US rejects Russian President's proposal on Ukraine

Speaking at a conference on the Ukraine conflict, US Vice President Kamala Harris said that Washington viewed Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent proposals for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine as a call for Kiev to surrender. "We have to tell the truth that he is not calling for negotiations," Ms. Kamala Harris said.

The US vice president added that the country’s assistance to Ukraine is in Washington’s strategic interest, not charity. She noted that the signing of the security agreement between Washington and Kiev “demonstrates the United States’ long-term commitment to maintaining Ukraine’s defense capabilities.”

The President of Ukraine said he had a private meeting with the Vice President of the United States. During the meeting, the topic of providing weapons and air defense systems to Kiev was raised. In addition, the leaders of the two countries also discussed the situation on the front line. Although specific information was not released, the President of Ukraine emphasized that the meeting achieved the set goals.

The US wants to train and arm the Ukrainian army for another 10 years

Ahead of the Ukraine Peace Summit, Jake Sullivan announced that President Joe Biden and his Ukrainian counterpart will sign a 10-year training and support agreement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU): “We want to demonstrate that the United States supports the Ukrainian people.”

CNN reported that the new agreement will also force Washington to expand cooperation with Ukraine in the production of weapons and military equipment.

However, after the first day of the summit, Mr. Jake Sullivan noted that the US may not be able to comply with the security agreement with Ukraine when a new president takes office in Washington. In this case, there is no guarantee that the agreements with Kiev will be implemented.

Ammunition suppliers to Ukraine are deliberately hoarding goods to increase prices many times over. Photo: Getty

“I’m not going to try to fool anyone and say that what’s written is engraved in the snow. I can’t change that immutable truth,” said Jake Sullivan.

Regarding this agreement, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the issue: “If a request for a legal examination of an agreement is made in the future, the question will certainly arise: who signed these documents and with what authority. It turns out that it was all a hoax. The agreement is insignificant and it will be invalid.”

Ukraine has to buy weapons at 5 times the price

In an interview with The Sunday Times, the head of the Ukrainian Defense Procurement Agency, Vladimir Pikuzo, said that the prices of some weapons recently purchased by Ukraine have increased five to six times.

Middlemen and speculators inflated prices, realizing the hopelessness of Kiev's situation and the readiness of the AFU to pay any amount for the necessary and immediate weapons. In addition, the price increase was influenced by the financial support packages that the West provided to Ukraine to continue the confrontation with the Russian army. Vladimir Pikuzo calculated that at current prices, it is possible to fully satisfy Ukraine's arms needs for $ 200 billion, which is equivalent to China's defense budget.

Ukraine's Defense Procurement Agency is hunting for Soviet-era weapons. They are particularly interested in ammunition, as available stocks are rapidly running out.

However, many partners are in no hurry to sign contracts with Ukraine, anticipating that prices will continue to rise. For example, at the start of the special operation in 2022, a missile for the Grad multiple launch rocket system cost $900, today they are asking for $6,000 per projectile.

Russia assesses the possibility of signing a peace agreement with Ukraine

Russian news agency RIA Novosti is loading, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not rule out the possibility of negotiations with Ukraine. According to him, this country has legitimate bodies that can negotiate agreements.

Mr. Peskov stressed that it is impossible to start agreements with current Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky because this would be illegal.

The press secretary also said that the outcome of the negotiations with Kiev may require a complex system of guarantees for the agreement to come into force.

Meanwhile, many Western experts believe that the Ukrainian president does not want to negotiate peace with Russia because he is afraid of losing power. British expert Alexander Merkouris said that if an agreement is signed, President Zelensky will have to resign. "Mr. Zelensky knows this very well. He knows that he cannot continue to be the president of Ukraine," the expert said, asserting that as soon as Kiev begins the settlement process according to the terms proposed by the Kremlin, Mr. Zelensky's power will begin to waver.

On June 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin set two conditions for the Russian military to implement a ceasefire in Ukraine. Accordingly, Ukraine must begin withdrawing troops from the four regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, Lugansk and Donetsk. In addition, Kiev must officially announce its refusal to join NATO.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/chien-su-nga-ukraine-ngay-1662024-my-bac-bo-de-xuat-cua-nga-ve-ukraine-kiev-phai-mua-vu-khi-voi-gia-cao-326496.html