Putin calls proposals for mutual halt to strikes on ships and oil refineries absurd

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has called a proposal not to strike Ukrainian ships if Ukraine refrains from striking Russian oil refineries "absurd".

Source: Russian state-owned news agency TASS; RT na russkom, citing remarks by the Kremlin leader at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club

Quote from Putin: "We are being told: how about they stop striking your [Russian] oil refineries, and you stop striking their [Ukrainian] ships – let them transport civilian cargo, agricultural products. But what about our other civilian cargo, like oil and petroleum products? They say they will stop the strikes, so there will be more diesel, which is so badly needed in, say, the United States. But we will have more of it – we already have enough diesel. It won't reach global markets because there are sanctions in place. And in response we are supposed to stop striking targets that are important to them. Well, it just looks absurd."

Details: As usual, Putin claimed that Ukraine started attacking first.

Quote: "The Kyiv authorities started striking our tankers and other ships. They started in early July and they announced it publicly, they were not shy about it. In the first 10 days alone they knocked out 40 of our ships. And overall they have damaged over 100. We started to respond. Now we're getting appeals from all sides: 'Let's stop.' Well, they started it. Take this grenade from a Soviet soldier, you fascist. Now they don't like it."

Details: Asked again whether he would be willing to agree to a proposal for a mutual cessation of strikes, the Russian leader's answer was brief: "No."

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