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Western media ready to jump on Putin's offer to visit frontline — Kremlin

"A large number of Western journalists would like to go there," Dmitry Peskov noted

MOSCOW, November 5. /TASS/. Representatives of the Western media have expressed great interest in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal to come to frontline areas where Ukrainian troops find themselves trapped, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"There is great interest in it. We know that a large number of Western journalists would like to go there," he noted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on October 29 that the Russian Armed Forces were ready to allow foreign media workers, including Ukrainian journalists, to travel to the area where enemy troops had been surrounded, and could even suspend military operations there for the duration of the reporters’ stay so that they could safely enter the cities of Kupyansk and Krasnoarmeisk, witness the situation firsthand, speak with Ukrainian service members, and depart.

On October 30, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed receiving an order to provide foreign journalists with unrestricted access to the Kupyansk, Dimitrov and Krasnoarmeisk areas where Ukrainian troops were trapped. The Russian army is ready to suspend military operations for five to six hours and establish corridors for media workers, the ministry added. However, Ukrainian Defense Ministry Spokesman Georgy Tikhy said in response that Kiev would regard foreign journalists’ trips to the areas where Ukrainian forces were blocked as "a violation of Ukrainian laws.".