The Russian President said in an interview that Russia is ready for talks.
(Photo: dpa)
Moscow/Kyiv According to its President Vladimir Putin, Russia is ready to negotiate with all parties involved in the Ukraine conflict. However, the leadership in Kyiv and its Western supporters have refused talks, Putin said in an interview with state TV channel Rossiya 1 published on Sunday. “We are ready to negotiate acceptable solutions with all parties involved, but that is up to them – not us those who refuse to negotiate, they do.” Ukraine immediately contradicted this.
The invasion of Ukraine, launched by Russia on February 24, is the worst conflict in Europe since the end of World War II. It is also the largest confrontation between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, which involved the deployment of US medium-range missiles in Turkey and the Soviet Union in Cuba.
There is no end in sight to the war in Ukraine, which the Russian leadership has described as a special military operation. The Russian leadership has said it will fight until all of its goals are achieved, including the demilitarization of Ukraine. Their government has announced that it will not rest until the last Russian soldier has left territory – including the Crimea peninsula of Ukraine annexed by Russia in 2014.
The Ukrainian government contradicted Putin’s account in the interview. “Russia single-handedly attacked Ukraine and is killing citizens,” wrote Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, on Twitter. “Russia does not want negotiations, but is trying to avoid responsibility.” Putin must return to reality.
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In a recent interview, the director of the US CIA, William Burns, also expressed skepticism about Russia’s willingness to talk. Although most conflicts are ended through negotiations, the CIA is convinced that Russia is not yet serious about real talks to end the war.
I don’t think it’s that dangerous. Wladimir Putin
The Russian President was convinced of his course. “I believe our actions are going in the right direction.” The West, led by the US, is trying to split Russia. “We defend our national interests, the interests of our citizens, our people,” Putin said. “And we have no choice but to protect our citizens.” Putin expressed his conviction that the vast majority of the Russian population – 99.9 percent – is ready to defend their country and give everything for the fatherland.
The US government denies planning the collapse of Russia. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of an imperial war of occupation against its neighbor, to which it has no right. When asked if the geopolitical conflict with the West was approaching dangerous proportions, the Russian President replied: “I don’t think it’s that dangerous.”
Putin said the West started the conflict in Ukraine in 2014 by toppling a pro-Russian president at the Maidan protests in Kyiv. “Actually, this is about the policies of our geopolitical opponents aimed at tearing apart Russia, historical Russia.” Putin is alluding to former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
This had stopped a largely negotiated association agreement with the EU and thus triggered massive protests in the population, from which he fled to Russia. As a result, in February 2014, the parliament in Kyiv voted to depose Yanukovych. Shortly after this revolution, Russia annexed Crimea, and Russian-backed separatists began fighting Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine.
More: Cold War infrastructure: Why electricity is still flowing in Ukraine