Central Asia: Putin ready for peace talks on Ukraine

Central Asia (California) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine if the country agrees to recognize the borders of the current front. Reuters Four senior Russian sources were cited. At the same time, according to them, if Vladimir Putin’s proposals are not answered, he is ready to continue hostile actions.

Three anonymous sources familiar with discussions in Vladimir Putin’s circle told Reuters that the Russian president has expressed to several of his close advisers his frustration with the West’s efforts to undermine the Russian-Ukrainian negotiation process. The head of state is also unhappy with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s unwillingness to negotiate, the agency wrote.

According to two sources, Putin believes that the successes achieved in the theater of operations are now enough for Russian citizens to consider them victories. According to three of the agency’s interlocutors, the Russian president believes that any new achievements on the front would require another mobilization, which the authorities are trying to avoid.

“Putin can fight as long as he wants, but he is also ready for a ceasefire to freeze the conflict,” said one of four senior Russian sources familiar with the Kremlin talks on the issue.

In comments to the agency, Vladimir Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov said the Russian president had made it clear on several occasions that Russia was open to dialogue. He also assured that Russia did not want an “eternal war.”

A source told Reuters that a peace deal is not possible during Vladimir Zelensky’s administration. However, Russia could take a detour to reach a peace deal with Washington. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a speech in Kiev last week that he does not think Vladimir Putin is interested in serious negotiations. German Foreign Minister Annalena Barbock recently made a similar statement: She said that despite international efforts to stop the war in Ukraine, Putin does not want to participate in the dialogue.

Switzerland will host a conference on resolving the Ukrainian conflict from June 15 to 16, inviting delegations from 160 countries. However, Russia was not invited to the summit. On May 17, Putin said that the basis for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine could be the draft agreement agreed in March 2022. At the same time, the Russian authorities do not accept the peace plan proposed by Ukrainian President Zelensky, which includes the withdrawal of troops, the restoration of Ukraine’s 1991 borders, and the payment of reparations.