Shoigu Rules Out Talks With Ukraine Amid Kursk Incursion

Moscow will not hold peace talks with Kyiv while Ukrainian troops remain in control of parts of the southwestern Kursk region, Russia’s former defense minister and current Security Council chief Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday.
“Naturally, we won’t have any negotiations with them [Ukraine] until we throw them out of our territory,” he was quoted as saying by the state-run TASS news agency.
Shoigu’s remarks appear to contradict President Vladimir Putin’s recent claim that he “never refused” to negotiate with Kyiv — even as Ukrainian troops stormed into the Kursk region early last month, seizing dozens of towns and villages and displacing tens of thousands of people.
Putin has repeatedly said he would be willing to negotiate with Ukraine only if it relinquished four partially occupied regions that Moscow claims to have annexed in September 2022.
In May, the Kremlin leader replaced Shoigu with economist Andrei Belousov, Russia’s former first deputy prime minister, as Russia’s defense minister in a major cabinet shakeup.
The International Criminal Court in June issued arrest warrants for Shoigu and Russia’s Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov. Both were accused of directing attacks at civilian targets and causing excessive incidental harm to civilians, as well as of “inhumane acts” in Ukraine.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.