UPDATE - Russia rules out talks with Kyiv, vowing to first drive out Ukrainian troops from Kursk

ADDS MORE REMARKS BY SHOYGU

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoygu said on Tuesday that Moscow will not engage in negotiations with Kyiv until Ukrainian troops are ousted from Russian territory.

"As long as we haven't pushed them off our land, there will be no negotiations," Shoygu vowed in an interview with Russia-24 television.

More than 110 countries have endorsed the peace initiative proposed by Brazil and China regarding Ukraine. While there are other proposals, for Russia, the foundational document remains the Istanbul treaty, which was signed by Kyiv in April 2022, according to Shoygu.

He emphasized that the Istanbul proposals were satisfactory to all parties and were approved by the Ukrainian side.

Representatives from BRICS countries are set to discuss initiatives concerning Ukraine at a security meeting scheduled for Sept. 10-12 in St. Petersburg.

The former defense minister condemned Ukraine's attempts to reach the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), saying such actions are malicious and tantamount to the "height of terrorism."

"There’s a significant issue here – the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. We do not and will not negotiate with terrorists. Their desire to commit nuclear terror at the Kursk NPP represents the highest level of terrorism. They aimed to advance and seize the plant, but thankfully, they failed," he emphasized.

Before Ukraine invaded the Kursk region, President Vladimir Putin was willing to halt strikes on energy facilities in Ukraine based on a proposal from Türkiye, he said.

“Türkiye presented a proposal from the Ukrainian authorities, suggesting that we commit to not striking energy facilities, nuclear power plants, or the commercial civilian fleet in the Black Sea. Our president agreed to this proposal and said, ‘Yes, let’s proceed,’” he said.

However, Ukraine soon abandoned this initiative: “It was a major surprise when, after some time, they said, ‘No, we will not adhere to this agreement,’” the UN Security Council secretary remarked.

Ukraine and Russia were planning to send delegations to Qatar to negotiate an end to strikes on energy infrastructure, media reports claimed on Aug. 17, citing sources.

The Russian side reportedly postponed the meeting following the Ukrainian attack on the Kursk region. The Russian Foreign Ministry later denied preparing for such negotiations, and the Kremlin stated that after the attack on the Kursk region, the topic of negotiations with Ukraine “lost its relevance.”

Commenting on Western efforts to seize frozen Russian assets, Shoygu remarked, “They are acting like common thieves.”

The official noted that, while Russian assets could have been taken long ago, Western politicians are well aware that any such action would elicit not only an adequate but also painful response.

Regarding the battlefield situation, Shoygu claimed that the Russian military's advance in Donbas is accelerating, with approximately 1,000 square kilometers of territory coming under Russian control in the first eight days of the current September month.

“The primary aim of Ukraine’s attack on the Kursk region was to distract us from Donbas, where our progress is swift. We are talking about 1,000 kilometers on the front. However, we have ample forces, and our troops continue to advance,” he said.

Russia and Ukraine continue fighting in the Kursk region, where Kyiv launched an incursion on Aug. 5-6, and in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow continues to claim advances on multiple fronts.