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Vladimir Putin said he saw the conditions for the use of nuclear weapons as spelled out in Russia’s nuclear doctrine, but added that he might rule out an update of the doctrine.
“But doctrine can be changed.
Russia could simply send weapons to the West’s adversaries, Vladimir Putin once warned.
The Russian president reiterated the caution of the previous week at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
He did not specify which countries or entities he is referring to and under pressure for Moscow not to do so lately.
“If they supply (weapons) to the combat zone and demand the use of those weapons on our territory, why don’t we have the right to do the same?” he told the crowd.
“But I’m also not in a position to say we’ll do it tomorrow. “
On Wednesday, Putin told foreign reporters that Russia could simply supply long-range weapons to other countries to hit Western targets in reaction to NATO allies allowing Ukraine to use its weapons to attack Russian territory.
He also reaffirmed that Moscow is in a position to use nuclear weapons if it sees a risk to its sovereignty.
Joe Biden apologized to Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the delay in approving new U. S. aid to Ukraine.
Last month, after months of political disagreement, the Senate approved $95 billion (£76. 2 billion) for the war against Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
“I spent those weeks without knowing it,” the US president said.
The Ukrainian president thanked his counterpart for the US help.
“It’s very good that you remain with us,” he said.
The two men talk in Paris, the day after the commemorations of the Normandy landings.
Russia will have to increase the use of non-Western currencies, Vladimir Putin said in his speech at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
He also said his country wants to import and at the same time called for a primary expansion of its domestic money markets.
Trade with Asia is booming, he told delegates, adding that nearly two-fifths of Russia’s foreign industry is currently conducted in rubles.
The percentage learned in U. S. dollars, euros, and other Western currencies has decreased.
Russia will try to increase the percentage of payments made in the currencies of the BRICS countries, which include Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, Putin said.
“Last year, the percentage of Russian export invoices in the so-called ‘toxic’ currencies of hostile states was halved, while the percentage of the ruble in export and import transactions is increasing, now reaching 40%,” the president said.
Russia has described the sanctions imposed on it as “hostile”.
The consultation began with a speech by the Russian president.
Vladimir Putin claims that there is a race between global powers to identify sovereignty.
It speaks of the need for countries to establish partnerships and also look inward to deal with the demanding situations that arise in the current global economic landscape.
Despite all the “obstacles and illegitimate sanctions,” Russia remains one of the world leaders, he said.
He added that “friendly countries”, those that have not joined the sanctions against Moscow, account for three-quarters of Russia’s mutual turnover and congratulated them for this.
Countries such as India and China have had economic ties since Putin began his war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin took the stage in St. Petersburg to address the International Economic Forum.
He is accompanied by the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwais, and the President of Bolivia, Luis Alberto Arce Catacora.
The consultation is chaired by Sergei Karaganov, a Russian political scientist.
We’ll bring you all the key lines here on this blog.
A T-shirt published with a word attributed to Vladimir Putin is on sale at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Sky News has learned.
“If it’s unavoidable, throw the first punch,” he says.
The Russian president will do so in 2015.
He explained that it was all he had learned on the streets of Leningrad: an old call to St. Petersburg.
The Russian Defense Ministry accused Ukraine of wounding 20 people, as well as children, in a missile attack on the Russian-controlled eastern Ukrainian city of Luhansk with U. S. -supplied ATACMS missiles.
Four of the missiles were shot down through air defense systems, the ministry said in a statement.
However, one of the missiles destroyed two residential buildings, he added, claiming it was deliberate.
Sky News cannot accept those allegations.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.
Earlier (7. 43 a. m. ) we had indicated that the committee would be in a position to bring forward the start of accession negotiations.
This is part of an attempt to act for Kyiv before Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the EU next month, the Financial Times reported.
The EU announced earlier this year that it would send an additional £42 billion in aid to Ukraine, but after weeks of resistance from Hungary, which appears to be concerned about minority rights in Ukraine.