Putin hasn’t ‘taken his foot off the gas’ in Ukraine despite China peace talks, White House says

The White House criticized the peace talks held between China and Russia, stating that Vladimir Putin has not stopped his aggression against Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin met with China’s President Xi Jinping in Moscow this week to discuss a peace plan for the ongoing war in Ukraine. However, reports suggest that cruise missile strikes had taken place in Kyiv the following day, killing civilians.

According to National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, “Mr. Putin hasn’t really taken his foot off the gas since he invaded a year ago. He just continues to find new, brutal, violent ways to kill Ukrainians and to try to destroy Ukrainian cities. Basically, [he wants to] wipe Ukraine off the map as an independent, sovereign nation.”

China’s peace plan called for a ceasefire that would freeze the current battlefield positions in place, solidifying Russia’s gains permanently. A ceasefire would allow Russia to refit, resupply, and redeploy its troops for future offensives. However, Ukraine opposes this plan.

Chinese officials released a 12-point peace plan that they believe aligns with Russia’s approach to ending the conflict. Putin stated that he supported many of the plan’s provisions, but did not see a readiness for peace from the West or Kyiv.

Kirby criticized the missile strikes, stating, “It’s hard for me to say whether he’s more emboldened or not, but he certainly hasn’t changed tack in the wake of all that lofty rhetoric about peace and the cessation of hostilities.”

Those missiles killed civilians, he said, including two children.

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