Putin says Russia is ‘open’ to peace talks, shifting blame to Ukraine

Russia is ready to sit down and negotiate a peace deal with Ukraine — a country it invaded and wanted to seize for almost three years now — Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

However, according to the Russian leader, there isn’t any willingness on the Ukrainian side to solve legal issues.

“If there is a desire to negotiate and find a compromise solution, let anyone conduct these negotiations,” Putin said, pinning the blame on Kyiv.

“From the point of view of signing the documents, here, of course, everything must be such that lawyers confirm the legitimacy of those people who will be authorised by the Ukrainian state to sign these agreements.

The Russian President added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is “not legitimate” to lead these talks — a claim he has repeated as one of the main justifications for Moscow’s all-out war against its western neighbour he launched in February 2022.

“You can negotiate with nyone, but because he is illegitimate, he has no right to sign anything. But if he wants to take part in the negotiations, I will allocate appropriate people who will conduct these negotiations,” he told reporters.

Putin and other Kremlin dignitaries have long claimed the government in Kyiv was installed by the West without offering any proof for these and other similar statements.

Previously, speaking about possible talks, the Russian president emphasised that any peace deal should respect the “realities on the ground,” hinting that the Kremlin wants to keep all occupied territories of Ukraine for itself, a proposition Kyiv outright rejects.

He said in June that Ukraine must also renounce its NATO bid and fully withdraw its forces from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson — the regions Russia one-sidedly annexed in September 2022.

Moscow also wants the West to lift its sanctions that have limited Moscow’s access to global markets and dealt a heavy blow to Russia’s economy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s initial “peace formula” demanded Russia’s full withdrawal from all occupied territories

In recent times, Zelenskyy has emphasised the need for a comprehensive agreement, not a temporary halt to hostilities that would only allow Russia to replenish its arsenal.

Putin has similarly rejected a temporary truce, pointing out that Russian troops are “pressing an offensive” and any break in the fighting would allow Ukraine to get reinforcements and supplies.