Putin approves idea of handing over weapons to Donbas and engaging volunteers in Ukraine
“We should meet them halfway and help them go to the battlefield”
President Vladimir Putin of Russia has held a meeting with permanent Security Council members, and the Kremlin’s press service has published takeaways from there. Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu has raised three issues related to the special military operation. The first one is about engaging volunteers in Ukraine.
“We are receiving a lot of applications from different volunteers from different countries who would like to go to the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics to participate in, as they think, in the liberation movement. The biggest amount is from Near Eastern countries: there are already more than 16,000 applications. And here, of course, we think it is correct to accept these applications, moreover, this isn’t about money but these people’s true desire,” claimed Shoigu.
Putin has approved the idea and reminded the audience that nobody is hiding that Western contractors are being sent to Ukraine.
“Therefore, if you see that if some people who want to come as volunteers and help people living in Donbas, we should meet them halfway and help them go to the battlefield,” the president of Russia noted.
“If you need some decisions from me here, you’re welcome, I am ready”
The second issue Shoigu has brought up is about handing over weapons to the DPR and LPR. He has noted that armament supplies to Ukraine are “absolutely uncontrolled.”
“We have a proposal to hand over anti-aircraft weapons, particularly man-portable air-defence systems and anti-tank guided missiles to provide the militia of the LPR and DPR with a greater combat capability. In addition, Mr Putin, we have a lot of weapons, Ukrainian weapons accumulated: it is tanks, armoured vehicles and all types of small arms, there are quite a lot of arms, artillery. Besides this, there are a lot of Javelin and Stinger missiles. It is also offered to hand them to the Luhansk and Donetsk republics, the militia so that they can defend their republics more effectively,” the head of the Defence Ministry noted.
Putin has back this proposal up too:
“Please, do this. If you need some decisions from me here, you’re welcome, I am ready.”
“New subdivisions are arriving every day”
The third issue is about the reinforcement of Western areas. The general staff has almost completed the creation of a dedicated plan, including a transition to the borders of combat units for protection.
“New subdivisions are arriving every day, they [the West] are deploying them, moreover, this is happening though absolutely nothing is threatening them in this case. Nevertheless, as it seems to us, taking advantage of such a situation they want to fill our borderline area with forces, weapons on that side as much as possible and, without doubt, leave this, seemingly, for a long time,” noted Shoigu.
This requires being considered separately, noted the Russian president. He asked Shoigu to prepare a report after which a decision would be made.
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