“We are ready to negotiate acceptable solutions with all involved,” Putin said. “After all, it’s not us who are refusing negotiations.”
He added that Russia is acting “in the right direction” towards Ukraine, because the US-led West would only aim to separate Russia. “We are just defending our citizens and the interests of our citizens,” Putin said. “We have no choice but to protect them.”
Not for the first time
It is not the first time that Moscow has declared itself open to negotiations, but Kiev and its associates expect Putin’s statements to have only the aim of buying time after a series of Russian losses and withdrawals from the battlefield.
However, the Russian president has said he wants to work towards an end to the war and that diplomatic negotiations are guaranteed.