Here’s Zelenskyy’s response:

For anyone looking for logic in Putin’s ultimatum—it’s just a way to find new excuses to keep the aggression going. Russia has absolutely no plans to stop. pic.twitter.com/HEGI16UvEE

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) June 14, 2024

And the formal Ukrainian response:

Ukraine immediately rejected Putin’s proposal.

Oleksandr Lytvynenko, secretary of Ukraine’s @NSDC_ua, told @ChristopherJM Putin’s remarks were a “demonstration that he doesn’t want to negotiate” and that the Russian leader’s terms were unacceptable.https://t.co/A0CGq7N6Rn https://t.co/b5JrrDbNk0

— max seddon (@maxseddon) June 14, 2024

From The Financial Times:

Oleksandr Lytvynenko, secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, told the Financial Times that Putin’s remarks were a “demonstration that he doesn’t want to negotiate” and the Russian leader’s terms were unacceptable to Kyiv.

Lytvynenko said Putin was speaking out now because “he is afraid” that a peace summit spearheaded by Kyiv, which starts in Switzerland on Saturday, would be successful.

More at the link.

“…and in return, I will give nothing at all. At all. And I will take some time to recoup my losses, fix my flaws, and I will attack again in a much better shape.

Yes, I believe you can really end up being stupid enough to buy such a peace proposal.” https://t.co/JRzvAOQKxh

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) June 14, 2024

Putin is really placing a bet on the sort of uncurable idiots in the West who would comment on his (latest) unconditional surrender ultimatum to Ukraine as a ‘peace proposal’, and, moreover, would seriously pretend that Putin, the inciter of the largest European war of aggression…

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) June 14, 2024

Putin is really placing a bet on the sort of uncurable idiots in the West who would comment on his (latest) unconditional surrender ultimatum to Ukraine as a ‘peace proposal’, and, moreover, would seriously pretend that Putin, the inciter of the largest European war of aggression since Adolf Hitler and one of the most absurd and senseless wars ever, has some sort of high moral ground over ‘Western warmongers’ who ‘only prolong the war’ by helping Ukraine defend itself and survive as a country.

This is the dynamic that Putin is manipulating:

Russia makes unreasonable demand, Ukraine inevitably rejects, western media report Ukraine rejects Russian peace deal uncriticially. Repeat again in 6 months time.

— Kyle Glen (@KyleJGlen) June 14, 2024

Why headlines matter

‘Putin promises ceasefire’ is not the headline from his comments today on #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/6xtuxc86Xe

— Sarah Rainsford (@sarahrainsford) June 14, 2024

So, @AP, do you mean that Ukrainian troops are occupying Ukrainian territories?🤡 https://t.co/Ez75pSiitd

— Iryna Voichuk (@IrynaVoichuk) June 14, 2024

Putin knows that he was successful in establishing reflexive control over the US and European information environment regarding news. Russia’s preferred framing has been and continues to be the framing for the majority of the reporting regarding Russia’s activities, especially in regard to the war for Ukraine. This reflexive control is partially what has allowed Russia to so successfully undertake his political warfare, subversion campaigns, and influence campaigns.

Yes, inciters of the largest European war of aggression since WWII are definitely making “peaceful proposals” because they are actually full of goodwill and aspiration toward peace.

Also, it’s because their 2.5-year-long blitzkrieg to take Kyiv within three days is doing just… https://t.co/319AcTjdIT

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) June 14, 2024

Yes, inciters of the largest European war of aggression since WWII are definitely making “peaceful proposals” because they are actually full of goodwill and aspiration toward peace.

Also, it’s because their 2.5-year-long blitzkrieg to take Kyiv within three days is doing just fine.

The view from Russia:

Maxim Kalashnikov, a Russian futurist and friend of Strelkov-Girkin, known widely in narrow circles, predicts the freezing of the conflict on conditions unsuitable for the Russian Federation. His theories are rather exaggerated, but nevertheless, it is interesting to read the… pic.twitter.com/RWbeoIN5Ld

— WarTranslated (Dmitri) (@wartranslated) June 14, 2024

Maxim Kalashnikov, a Russian futurist and friend of Strelkov-Girkin, known widely in narrow circles, predicts the freezing of the conflict on conditions unsuitable for the Russian Federation. His theories are rather exaggerated, but nevertheless, it is interesting to read the changes in the psychology of the rashists lately.

“Well, the prospect of operation “Berlin Wall 2” after the freeze of the war has emerged. The fact that it is inevitable is already visible. Both the United States and China are pushing us towards it.

For the former, it is beneficial because it was possible to achieve important strategic goals. The anti-Russian statehood of Ukraine is preserved on eighty percent of its territory. The Russian irredenta – the unification of all branches of the Rus in one country – has been thwarted. A bloody wedge has been driven between the Great Russians and the Little Russians. The NATO bloc has been replenished with Swedes and Finns, and now it is being pushed even more towards the Russian Federation. There is already a possibility that the economy will fall after the reduction of military orders; the credit and financial bloc of the Russian Federation remains in the hands of pro-Western forces. The reserves of the Central Bank of the 2022 model were taken away from the country. In general, the Yankees will not consider all this a failure.

The Chinese are also in profit. The Russian Federation is weakened and more closely tied to Beijing in the role of a junior ally. Our technological and economic dependence on Beijing is only growing; it has twisted our arms in terms of gas supplies. It is quite possible to freeze the war and establish a new order, avoiding unrest in the Russian Federation.

So I think freezing is inevitable. Moreover, as a result of the war, it turns out that our situation has not improved (let me remind you of Clausewitz’s principle). And the struggle will not end by any means.

The West clearly intends to carry out Operation Berlin Wall 2. That is, to make sure that life in Bandera’s 80 percent of Ukraine-Little Russia (and in the part of Novorossiya that we have not conquered) was better, of higher quality than in the new federal district of Novorossiya in the Russian Federation. By analogy with the GDR and West Berlin (actually the Federal Republic of Germany) in 1961-1989. When Germans from the poorer socialist part fled to the rich West. They will obviously try to use the proven scheme in b. Ukrainian SSR.

For this purpose, de facto external management is being introduced in Kyiv (so that the native elite does not steal everything), and for the security of three hundred billion taken from the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, large loans will be issued for the reconstruction of Banderistan. They will build new thermal power plants there, develop the agricultural industry (the raw material periphery of the West, its breadbasket), and streamline the work of anti-corruption structures. They will build normal courts and a system of local elections. They will create the impression of “this is europe” next to the “dense Asian despotism”…
No, Ukrainian citizens will not live as prosperously as Europeans. But our enemy will try to make their life better than on the lost 20 percent of the land. In order to create the effect of the Berlin Wall, confusing the minds and hearts of the residents of the federal district of Novorossiya. Moreover, the bulk of the ruins and humanitarian crises fall to us after the war is frozen. Well, if you weren’t able to prepare and carry out a successful blitzkrieg, then your reap what you sow.

Moreover, the enemy will try to make very large expenditures on the Russian Federation to eliminate the devastation in new regions, thereby putting a stone on our necks that will drag us to the bottom. Combined with the continuation of the sanctions blockade and the need to spend a fair amount on the conversion of the military industry, which gained great momentum during the war. I believe that the enemy is betting that the Russian authorities will not survive economically. Well, 80% Ukraine will become a proxy for NATO, will be armed and will be trained to resume the war. Already taking into account the experience of the SMO, with the new Air Force, drones, etc. Maybe it will also receive American bases on its territory. Following the results of the SMO, the Anglo-Saxons are much less afraid of our nuclear weapons than before.

I consider this an extremely serious challenge. We need an extremely non-trivial plan for the new industrialization of the entire Russian Federation in order to prevent the effect of the Berlin Wall. Because simply pumping money into new regions while saving on the “old” lands of the Russian Federation is the path to turmoil. We need a general development project. Based on a clear project of the Future. And five-year plans.

Alas, so far our authorities have neither a clear image of the future Russia, nor a clearly articulated project of neo-industrialization, nor a successful practice of “taking off the raw materials needle” of the country as a whole.”

It is important to remember that Strelkov aka Girkin, one of the leaders of the Black Sea Cossacks who did Putin’s dirty work in Moldova, leading to the breakaway Transnistria, and in the Donbas in 2014, leading to the Russian occupation of parts of Donetsk and Luhansk Oblast, is now sitting in pre-trial detention in a Russian prison because he’s moved from catspaw to useless idiot on the Putin surrogate scale.

The PRC has been running its own subversion campaign against the Ukrainian Peace Summit in Switzerland:

“Reuters could not independently determine what impact China’s lobbying has had, but the number of registered participants at the Lucerne summit is down from the 107 that Zelenskiy’s office had said were confirmed by early June.” https://t.co/ebyHbTTpeQ

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) June 13, 2024

Reuters has the details. (emphasis mine)

BEIJING, June 13 (Reuters) – China, skipping a weekend summit on a peace plan for Ukraine, has been lobbying governments for its alternative plan, 10 diplomats said, with one calling Beijing’s campaign a “subtle boycott” of the global meeting in Switzerland.

Ninety states and organisations have registered to take part in the summit on Saturday and Sunday in the alpine resort of Lucerne, which will seek to build support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s peace proposals, including the full withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

Moscow, which was not invited to Lucerne, has dismissed the meeting as futile. China, which has close ties to Russia, says it will not attend the conference because it does not meet Beijing’s requirements, including the participation of Russia.

China and Russia proclaimed a “no limits” partnership just days before President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Russia’s smaller neighbour in February 2022. Beijing says it is neutral in the conflict and has not supplied Moscow with weapons or ammunition.

After China said it was not going to the Lucerne summit, Zelenskiy accused Beijing of helping Moscow undermine the meeting, an accusation China’s foreign ministry denied.

Ukraine, the United States and other Western governments had lobbied hard for China to attend the talks, as they seek legitimacy for the summit and a broad consensus on a roadmap to a future peace process.

In conversations with developing nations, China has not overtly criticised the Swiss summit or directly asked countries to abstain, the Beijing-based diplomats told Reuters.

But one who was briefed on the outreach said Beijing has told developing nations the meeting would prolong the war, while two diplomats with direct knowledge of the matter said China has been telling Western nations that many developing countries are aligned with its views on the conference.

The diplomats asked not to be named because they were not authorised to discuss the sensitive matter with the news media.

Responding to Reuters’ questions, China’s foreign ministry said its position on the Swiss conference was “fair, just and open”.

“China has been in close communication with relevant parties, including Switzerland and Ukraine, and encourages the equal participation of all parties at the conference as well as fair discussion of all plans,” spokesperson Lin Jin told a routine briefing on Friday.

Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said last week: “China sincerely hopes that a peace conference will not turn into a platform used to create bloc confrontation. Not attending it does not mean not supporting peace.”

As the summit approaches, China has intensified its outreach through meetings with visiting foreign dignitaries, phone calls and messages to foreign missions on China’s WeChat platform, diplomats said.

Beijing’s special envoy for Eurasian affairs, Li Hui, last month visited Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and has met officials of developing countries at their embassies in Beijing, the diplomats said.

While explaining why it will not attend the summit, China has been trying to enlist developing nations to join the six-point peace plan it issued with Brazil last month.

The proposal calls for an international peace conference “held at a proper time that is recognised by both Russia and Ukraine, with equal participation of all parties as well as fair discussion of all peace plans.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has suggested that China could arrange such a conference. Putin has expressed support for China’s plan for a peaceful settlement of the crisis, saying Beijing had a full understanding of what lay behind it.

The Chinese foreign ministry’s Lin said more than 100 countries had supported the proposal, “reflecting the common expectations of the international community and the biggest common denominator in the world today.”

Lin added, “We encourage even more countries to support and join the six-point consensus.”

Reuters could not independently determine what impact China’s lobbying has had, but the number of registered participants at the Lucerne summit is down from the 107 that Zelenskiy’s office had said were confirmed by early June.

In Asia, U.S. allies the Philippines and Japan, as well as Thailand, Singapore and East Timor have confirmed their attendance. Malaysia has said it will abstain, as has Cambodia, which has close economic links to China. Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen denied being pressured by Beijing to avoid the conference.

Indonesia will send its ambassador in Bern. Vietnam has not made its position clear.

Germany:

Great news from Germany 🔥

Germany delivered a new military aid package for Ukraine, which includes IRIS-T air defense systems, HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and Leopard-1 tanks.

The full list is below:
◾️1 IRIS-T SLM air defense system
◾️1 IRIS-T SLS air defense system… pic.twitter.com/OgOBw6qevz

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 14, 2024

Great news from Germany 🔥

Germany delivered a new military aid package for Ukraine, which includes IRIS-T air defense systems, HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, and Leopard-1 tanks.

The full list is below:
◾️1 IRIS-T SLM air defense system
◾️1 IRIS-T SLS air defense system
◾️3 HIMARS multiple rocket launchers
◾️20 Marder IFVs
◾️10 Leopard 1 A5 main battle tanks
◾️ammunition for Leopard 1
◾️ammunition for Marder IFV
◾️21,000 rounds 155mm ammunition
◾️4 anti-drone sensors and jammers
◾️2 Beaver bridge-laying tanks
◾️2 Dachs armored engineer vehicles
◾️1 Bergepanzer 2 armored recovery vehicle
◾️4 Wisent 1 mine clearing tanks
◾️material for explosive ordnance disposal
◾️3 AMPS self-protection systems for helicopters
◾️100 night vision goggles
◾️IT equipment
◾️16 Zetros tankers
◾️100 MK 556 assault rifles
◾️85 HLR 338 precision rifles with 180,000 rounds ammunition
◾️100 CR 308 rifles
◾️4 million rounds of ammunition for fire arms
◾️rescue boats

We are grateful to our German friends for their leadership and unwavering support! Together, we will win!
🇺🇦🤝🇩🇪

Denmark:

Denmark has become the first NATO country to invest invest in the production of weapons in Ukraine.

Minister @rustem_umerov and his Danish counterpart @troelslundp signed a Memorandum regarding the purchase of weapons and equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers.

We are grateful… pic.twitter.com/5rCh4eDdMu

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 14, 2024

Denmark has become the first NATO country to invest invest in the production of weapons in Ukraine.

Minister @rustem_umerov and his Danish counterpart @troelslundp signed a Memorandum regarding the purchase of weapons and equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers.

We are grateful to Denmark for its vital support on the way to protect freedom and democracy.
🇺🇦🤝🇩🇰
@Forsvarsmin

The EU:

EU states give political agreement to formally open accession negotiations with Ukraine

Hungary, which had vetoed the deal for weeks, agreed after getting pledges on rights for minorities in UA

(Another classic of the Friday night 9pm breaking news genre that news editors love) https://t.co/dcCgf4BmlT

— Henry Foy (@HenryJFoy) June 14, 2024

Secretary Austin made a statement to the press yesterday at the 23rd meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group. Here’s the opening statement. (emphasis mine)

Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the 23nd Ukraine Defense Contact Group (As Delivered)

June 13, 2024

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III

Brussels, Belgium

Good morning, everyone. It’s great to see you all again. Thanks for joining us for the twenty-third meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

I’m glad that we’re joined again by our partners from Ukraine. Minister Umerov and your teammates, thanks for being here.

As we gather this morning, Ukraine’s forces are in a tough fight. In Kharkiv and elsewhere, the Kremlin continues to intensify its bombardment of Ukraine’s cities and civilians. And Ukraine urgently needs more air-defense capabilities to defend its skies.

But the Ukrainian people remain resilient and unbowed. And Ukraine’s forces continue to impress the world with their skill and their grit.

Ukrainian forces are fending off Russia’s new offensive in the Kharkiv region, and holding strong on the frontlines in Ukraine’s east and south.

It has been 840 days since Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And Ukraine’s defenders have inflicted staggering losses on the Russian invaders.

Since Putin’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, at least 350,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded. Ukrainian forces have sunk, destroyed, or damaged 24 Russian vessels in the Black Sea. And since September of last year — just before the Kremlin began its renewed offensive — Russia has lost more than 2,600 combat vehicles across the front lines in Ukraine. As Russian invaders moved forward west of Avdiivka, they lost more than 160 combat vehicles there in May alone.

So that’s just another reminder of the price that Russia has paid for Putin’s imperial ambitions. And it’s another reminder of Ukraine’s determination.

And make no mistake. Ukraine’s partners around the world have its back.

Now, it’s been nearly two months since President Biden signed the national-security supplemental. The United States is continuing to deliver urgently needed security assistance through more presidential drawdown packages. Since the supplemental became law, the United States has already delivered tens of thousands of artillery rounds, thousands of anti-tank mines, hundreds of GMLRS and anti-tank weapons, and more air-defense capabilities to help Ukraine repel Russian forces near Kharkiv.

President Biden also announced a new package of drawdown assistance that will provide Ukraine with more air-defense interceptors, armored vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and artillery systems and munitions.

I am proud that this Contact Group has committed more than 98 billion dollars in security assistance to Ukraine since February 2022. And this coalition continues to find innovative and sustainable ways to rush in critical capabilities to meet Ukraine’s most pressing needs.

Let me highlight just a few of them. I’m grateful to Sweden for announcing its largest military assistance package yet — worth approximately $1.23 billion. That includes two Airborne Surveillance and Control aircraft, which will be critical for Ukraine’s long-range air surveillance.

I’m also grateful to our hosts in Belgium, who have committed to deliver 30 F-16 fighters to Ukraine by 2028, as well as an additional $1 billion in military aid this year.

And I’d like to thank Spain for its recent pledge of more air-defense missiles.

And so countries are moving at flank speed to get Ukraine the capabilities that it so urgently needs. And we must keep doing so. We must keep finding new solutions, especially for Ukraine’s air-defense challenges.

And we’ll continue to support Ukraine’s long-term security. And you can see that in Ukraine’s new bilateral security agreements with Belgium, Iceland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden.

This Contact Group is also supporting Ukraine’s work to strengthen and modernize its forces for the long haul. The eight Capability Coalitions provide a practical, nimble mechanism for allies and partners to do just that. I’m grateful for the Coalition Leadership Group’s work to drive progress across each Capability Coalition. And just yesterday, the Coalition Leadership Group met to discuss the next steps to meet both Ukraine’s short-term needs and its long-term requirements.

And I look forward to hearing updates today from the drone coalition. The drone coalition is working to help Ukraine fend off Russian aggression today and deter Russian aggression tomorrow.

For its long-term security, Ukraine needs a robust, effective, and self-reliant defense industry. So the United States is working closely with this Contact Group to strengthen Ukraine’s defense industry and to foster joint projects.

Now, we’ve got a lot of work ahead. And fortunately, support for Ukraine is growing, and not waning.

In fact, I’m pleased to welcome Argentina as a new member. Minister Petri, I’m glad to have you with us.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is a critical moment. The stakes of this war are high. Ukraine’s survival is on the line. But so is all of our security. None of us would want to live in a world where Putin prevails. And we would all be less secure if tyrants think that they can trample borders and cow their neighbors.

So we’ve got a lot to do. But I am confident that this coalition will continue to rise to the challenge.

Again, thanks for being here today.

And with that, we’ll all pause for a moment while our friends in the media depart. Thank you.

The Kharkiv direction:

An army helicopter provides close air support for our warriors in the Kharkiv direction.

📹: 18th Army Aviation Brigade pic.twitter.com/YUiHHEYW5B

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) June 14, 2024

The Donetsk front:

/2. Russian T-72 in the crater was later destroyed https://t.co/4sePe3AOjT pic.twitter.com/gPMBsZtecp

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 14, 2024

The Marinka front:

46h Brigade repels yesterdays Russian attack on the Mariinka front.

“On June 13, the paratroopers of the 46th brigade repelled the largest enemy assault during the entire period of their work on the Mariinka front! The enemy used in total of 28 units of AFVs in assault… https://t.co/6cDlXOwnb8 pic.twitter.com/d41Qxf47JV

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 14, 2024

46h Brigade repels yesterdays Russian attack on the Mariinka front.

“On June 13, the paratroopers of the 46th brigade repelled the largest enemy assault during the entire period of their work on the Mariinka front! The enemy used in total of 28 units of AFVs in assault operations.
The results of the 13th turned out to be disappointing for the occupiers: our soldiers destroyed 13 units of armored vehicles, two dozens of Russians were killed, and 38 were injured”

https://t.me/oaembr46/861

Morozovsk air field, Rostov, Russia:

The first satellite imagery of the aftermath of tonight’s drone attack on the Russian military airfield in Morozovsk, Rostov region.
Reports regarding the attack – https://t.co/gisSqBemwH https://t.co/KDQ6QF013k

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 14, 2024

Morozovsk substation was the strike location https://t.co/sgjLwckyoV

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) June 14, 2024

At night there was a drone attack on the multiple regions of Russia. But the most reports were coming from Morozovsk, Rostov region.
Local residents heard explosions from the direction of the Morozovsk airfield. Several settlements in the area were left without electricity.
According to Russian claims “70 drones were intercepted in Rostov region” and 17 more in other regions.

That’s enough for tonight.

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