Russia prepared to wait if Ukraine rejects talks
'If the Ukrainian leadership believes waiting is necessary, they are welcome. We are prepared to wait,' Putin said, when asked by the media about direct negotiations hosted by Türkiye since May.
Moscow believes that 'negotiations are always required and important, especially when they lead to peace,' he added. Putin said however, that prisoner swaps and repatriation of soldiers' remains alone, which were facilitated by the talks, were a positive outcome.
The Russian leader's remarks came as he was meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, who is currently visiting Russia. On Thursday, Lukashenko stressed that Moscow is his nation's closest ally and the guarantor of its national security.
Putin reminded the press that in June last year he detailed Russia's goals in the conflict with Ukraine. Achieving them remains Moscow's condition for peace, he stressed.
'Rooting out the causes of the crisis is the primary objective,' he said.
Officials in Moscow perceive the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war against Russia, which the US and its allies allegedly decided to wage 'to the last Ukrainian.' Russia says hostilities would end if Kiev accepted that Ukraine can only be a neutral nation and reversed policies that Moscow describes as discriminating against ethnic Russians.
Ukrainian officials previously acknowledged that Kiev agreed to resume direct talks with Russia, which it suspended in 2022 to pursue victory on the battlefield. Ukraine's failed 'counteroffensive' in 2023 was described by military analysts as the tipping point after which Russia gained the strategic initiative.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
16 minutes ago
- Russia Today
Moscow lists countries whose citizens took part in Ukrainian incursion into Russia
Foreign nationals from over ten countries took part in Ukraine's incursion into Russia's Kursk Region, according to the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Aleksandr Bastrykin. Bastrykin told the media on the eve of the anniversary of the incursion that investigators identified individuals from Brazil, Colombia, Denmark, Georgia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, the UK, and other nations as having fought alongside Ukrainian troops in the Western-supported raid. Russian forces fully repelled the incursion in April, claiming that the attackers suffered around 76,000 casualties during the fighting, in which Ukrainian troops employed Western-supplied heavy weaponry. Bastrykin said 331 civilians were killed and another 553 injured due to Ukraine's actions in Kursk Region. The Investigative Committee has opened over 600 criminal cases related to the incursion, with around a third already referred for trial. Moscow maintains that the incursion was an example of Kiev's use of terrorist tactics, citing claims by captured soldiers that they were encouraged to use violence against civilians. Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that part of the goal was to apply pressure on the Russian public. He detailed a range of alleged abuses, from a case in which unarmed civilians were beaten to death, to occurrences in which US-made HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems were fired at civilian targets which Kiev allegedly knew held no military value. Since the escalation of the conflict with Russia in 2022, Kiev has called on foreign nationals with military experience to join its armed forces, passing legislation to accommodate them. Moscow does not recognize the fighters as lawful combatants, classifying them instead as mercenaries subject to prosecution. In May, Bastrykin reported that the Russian authorities charged 902 people with acting as mercenaries under Ukraine's command; 97 individuals from 26 different countries have been convicted.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
Former ICC judges slam sexual misconduct investigation into chief prosecutor
The International Criminal Court's handling of a sexual misconduct investigation into chief prosecutor Karim Khan raises major questions over its timing and procedural irregularities, according to four former judges. The case followed Khan's decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over the Gaza war. Khan applied for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant in May 2024, accusing them of crimes against humanity. The ICC official had also previously secured a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children. Neither Russia nor Israel recognizes the ICC's jurisdiction. Moscow has condemned the court's accusations as 'outrageous' and stressed that its decisions are legally 'null and void for Russia.' While the warrant for Putin was welcomed by Kiev's Western backers – including the US, despite Washington's own non-recognition of the court – the Netanyahu case prompted a backlash. The US imposed sanctions on Khan and four ICC judges, calling the charges politically motivated and warning of further punitive steps. Shortly after the Israeli warrants were issued, allegations of sexual misconduct against Khan surfaced. Former ICC judge Cuno Tarfusser told Middle East Eye he was 'deeply disturbed, even scandalized,' by the proceedings, claiming the investigation appeared 'tailored' for Khan. Another former judge warned the process had entered 'bandit country' where 'anything can happen.' The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, drew further scrutiny for publicly naming Khan and outsourcing the investigation to the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services, even though the ICC's own mechanism had previously closed two internal probes after the complainant declined to cooperate. As noted by MEE, the original complaint was made as Khan prepared the Israeli warrants. The allegations re-emerged months later just before the warrants were announced, and escalated in May 2025 as Khan reportedly pursued further charges against Israeli officials. Le Monde has also reported that British lawyer Andrew Cayley, who led the ICC's Palestine investigation, had been warned by Dutch intelligence that he was 'an enemy of Israel' and later advised by the UK Foreign Office that he could face US sanctions. He subsequently resigned.
Russia Today
an hour ago
- Russia Today
EU to push for sanctions against China
The EU is considering imposing sanctions on China over its alleged support for the Russian military, Politico reported on Monday, citing a diplomat. The plan is reportedly based on recent media allegations. Beijing has refused to take part in the the Western sanctions imposed on Moscow after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. China has maintained close economic ties with Russia while repeatedly calling for a diplomatic resolution. In recent months, the West has stepped up efforts to target Russia's major trading partners, including China, in an attempt to isolate Moscow and reduce its export revenues. The trigger for the EU's current shift appears to be an investigative report released by Reuters in July, which cited customs data and unnamed Western officials as claiming that Chinese companies supplied Russia with equipment that could reportedly have military applications, including parts for drones, radar, and fighter jets. 'The report is accurate and it shows China is escalating its role, both quantitatively and qualitatively,' the diplomat told Politico, claiming that the conflict 'would look very different right now' without China's alleged support. Earlier this month, Beijing denied similar allegations from US officials, telling the UN Security Council that Washington is playing a 'meaningless blame game.' Chinese envoy Geng Shuang called the accusations 'false' and 'completely unacceptable.' He defended China's economic ties with Russia, stressing that neither the US nor the EU has halted trade relations with Moscow. The criticism came shortly after a group of US senators introduced legislation that would require the administration of President Donald Trump to target Chinese 'entities and individuals' that have allegedly helped sustain the Russian defense industry amid international sanctions. The US has also told the UN Security Council that China is 'the most important supplier' to the Russian military. Russia has never confirmed the existence of military-related imports from China. It has also condemned the Western sanctions as illegal and counterproductive, calling them a 'double-edged sword.'
