Putin slams Kiev’s ‘destructive’ policies, Western arms deliveries to Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has lambasted the Ukrainian government’s "destructive" policies and growing Western arms supplies to Kiev as the conflict in the former Soviet republic drags on for more than 300 days.

Putin was cited by the Kremlin press service as making the remark in a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday.

The Russian leader said Kiev was pursuing a "destructive policy…that relies on the intensification of hostilities with the support of Western sponsors, who are ramping up supplies of weapons and military equipment.”

Putin also accused the Ukrainian government of dismissing his offer to halt fighting on Christmas Day, saying, "Kiev’s move to reject a proposal for a Christmas ceasefire is another proof of its hypocritical policy.”

The Kremlin press service said Putin and Erdogan also discussed an exchange of Russian and Ukrainian prisoners of war, including wounded soldiers.

The Turkish president, for his part, was said to have "reiterated that Turkey is ready to facilitate and mediate the establishment of a lasting peace between Russia and Ukraine."

The British government announced this weekend that it would provide Kiev with 14 Challenger 2 tanks, which would make it the first Western country to supply heavy tanks following calls from Ukraine.

Responding to the move, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday the tanks Britain plans to send to Ukraine "will burn" there, warning the West against sending more advanced weapons to the ex-Soviet republic since such consignments will not "change" the outcome of the war.

The Kremlin spokesman also said the UK uses Ukraine as a tool to achieve what it called London's anti-Russian goals.

MG