Putin reiterates Moscow's stance on settlement with Ukraine, says demands remain unchanged
Speaking after a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin emphasised the continued relevance and necessity of negotiations, but also underscored that resolving the conflict ultimately depends on addressing its root causes, reports RIA Novosti.
'The talks are important and always in demand,' he said, noting that Russia's conditions regarding settlement are still what they were, when first laid out in the summer of 2024.
These include Ukraine not being part of any military alliance, commit to maintaining its non-nuclear status, and the state recognition of its four captured regions - Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye — as part of Russia, and lastly, the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Moscow.
Putin stressed that any agreement should pave the way for long-term peace without time constraints, and said Russia is open to waiting if Kyiv is unwilling to engage on these terms. He added that broader European security must be taken into account when discussing a Ukrainian settlement.
Confirming Moscow's recent battlefield advances, he said that Russian troops had indeed taken control of the town of Chasov Yar and continue to push forward along the front.
He further claimed that thousands of Ukrainian soldiers' remains had been handed back, while Russia received dozens of its own fallen troops.
Lukashenko echoing Putin's stance, faulted the failure of negotiations on Kyiv, attributing them to Ukraine's 'impossible demands.' He went on to state that if the US genuinely seeks peace, the White House must play a more constructive role in the process, and voiced total readiness by Minsk to join future talks if need be and voiced full support for Russia's negotiating position.
The third round of peace talks in Istanbul, held behind closed doors on July 23 at the historic Ciragan Palace, lasted about an hour.
They followed a private meeting between Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Ukraine's National Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, both of whom have led previous rounds of dialogue.
According to Medinsky, discussions included humanitarian concerns, such as the return of civilians displaced by military activity in Russia's Kursk Region.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters that while high-level engagement is expected to finalise any eventual settlement, the current positions of Moscow and Kyiv remain 'diametrically opposed,' and compromise is unlikely in the immediate future.
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