Russia is ready to resume peace talks with Kyiv and Washington next month, but only with the aim of reaching a lasting peace agreement rather than a temporary ceasefire, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday.
Speaking to a journalist from Russian state television, Putin said the negotiations should address security guarantees for both Russia and Ukraine as part of a final settlement to the conflict.
“The goal of these discussions will be to examine security guarantees for both Ukraine and Russia within the framework of a final agreement, and not after some kind of short pause in the fighting,” he said.
Putin calls for wider European security framework
Putin confirmed that Moscow was prepared to resume trilateral talks with Ukraine and the United States next month, following his meeting with US envoy Steve Witkoff.
He said discussions on several issues could produce a positive outcome, but stressed that Russia remained committed to a settlement that would permanently end the conflict rather than establish a short-lived ceasefire.
According to Putin, Witkoff had also argued that negotiations should extend to the wider architecture of European security.
“I agree with that as well. So, let us see how things develop over the coming days,” Putin said.
The Russian President reiterated the Kremlin’s position that Moscow had not sought to start the war, claiming that Ukraine had taken a hostile stance on issues Russia considered vital to its interests.
Zelensky says Ukraine is ready for talks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also expressed readiness for negotiations.
Following a meeting with Witkoff in Norway on Tuesday, Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared to discuss a ceasefire, an end to the war, an energy truce and humanitarian initiatives.
However, significant differences remain between the two sides, particularly over territory in eastern Ukraine.
Donbas remains a major obstacle
Russia is demanding that Ukraine surrender the entire Donbas region in the east, a condition Kyiv has firmly rejected.
In his television interview, Putin argued that any discussion about territory in eastern Ukraine must take into account what he described as the region’s historical ties to Russia.
He also cited referendums held in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories seven months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, claiming residents had voted to join the Russian Federation.
Ukraine rejects Russia’s territorial claims, and the status of the occupied territories remains a central obstacle to reaching a peace agreement.
Also read: Kyiv missile strikes follow Putin’s peace talks pledge
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