President Vladimir Putin has visited military headquarters in Russian-controlled Ukraine, the Kremlin said, where he discussed the war with a general from Russia’s airborne troops who has reportedly taken up a powerful new role in the invasion.
Key points:
- Vladimir Putin’s visit appeared on Russian state media with no indication of when it occured
- Mr Putin attended a military command meeting in relation to the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions
- Poland and Ukraine are poised to resume negotiations to reopen grain transit
Dressed in a heavy blue jacket, Mr Putin, 70, was shown on Russian state television descending from a military helicopter in Russian-held Ukraine and greeting senior military commanders.
Moscow claims to have annexed four Ukrainian regions, however, its forces are locked in a grinding artillery battle in the eastern Donbas, with heavy losses on both sides, while they have been forced to pull back in southern Kherson, which Mr Putin visited.
It was not stated when Mr Putin’s visit took place.
The Kremlin said Mr Putin attended a military command meeting in Kherson region.
It said he heard reports from commanders of the airborne forces and the “Dnieper” army group and other senior officers on the situation in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, both of which Moscow has proclaimed part of Russia.
Ukrainian grain still in limbo
Meanwhile, Poland and Ukraine are set to resume negotiations to reopen the transit of food and grains, according to the Polish agriculture minister.
The two countries held talks on Monday, local time, over bans by central eastern European countries seeking to shelter their farmers from the impact of an influx of cheaper Ukrainian grain.
Some Black Sea ports were blocked after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leaving large quantities of Ukrainian grain trapped in Central Europe because of logistical bottlenecks.
“We are talking with the EU, as well as with Ukraine, to find solutions. We want these products to go to Europe, but go deep into Europe,” Poland’s agriculture minister, Robert Telus, said.
“We talked yesterday. There were long talks. Today we are also sitting down for talks … These are typically technical talks to find a solution and let this transit go to Europe,” he added.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War II.
Reuters