Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia had been ready to resume talks with Ukraine after the elections, but said attacks on Moscow and polling stations had prevented this. He also said that all proposals for a peace settlement “remain on the table,” while Moscow still needs to determine what is in its interests.
Putin made the remarks during a speech in St. Petersburg, according to Russian state news agency TASS on Telegram.
Putin claimed that negotiations were unlikely before the elections, but that Russia had been prepared to “resume contacts” with Kyiv once they were over. According to him, the situation changed after what he described as attacks on Moscow and facilities linked to the elections.
“We said that talks were unlikely before the elections, and that after that we were ready to resume contact. But what has happened recently?” Putin said.
At the same time, the Kremlin leader did not specify which peace proposals he was referring to. He said that all options supposedly remain “on the table,” but that Russia needs to assess what is in its interests.
Putin also claimed that Russia is not preparing for war with Europe because there are “no motives or grounds” for this. He described statements about a possible threat from Russia and the need to prepare for conflict as a “provocation.”
It had previously been reported that diplomatic contacts between Ukraine, Russia and US representatives were continuing amid efforts to reach agreements on specific issues, including a possible halt to strikes on energy facilities.
At the same time, statements by the Russian leadership about negotiations and the terms for holding them reflect Moscow’s position. The Ukrainian side has repeatedly stated the need to achieve a just peace and security guarantees.
Earlier, “Glavnoe in Ukraine” reported that the Kremlin had spoken about the possibility of holding a trilateral meeting between representatives of Russia, the United States and Ukraine in the near future. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that such a possibility had been discussed during a phone call between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
