Putin open to talks as Trump eyes peace plan in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin stated on Friday that he has always had good, pragmatic, and trust-based relationships with President Donald Trump. The Russian leader added that he is ready to engage in talks with the United States about ending the war in Ukraine.
In Friday's interview, Vladimir Putin described Donald Trump as a "wise and pragmatic person" with whom one can discuss many topics. Russia and the USA have a range of important issues to discuss, including nuclear arms control and economic matters, he noted.
However, as Putin pointed out, peace talks with Ukraine are currently not possible because President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out negotiations.
"How can you conduct talks if they are prohibited? (...) If talks started within the existing legal frameworks, they would be illegal, and their results could also be considered illegal," he added.
Lavrov: lack of readiness from Ukraine and the West for negotiations
Sergey Lavrov, head of Russian diplomacy, also expressed skepticism about Ukraine and the West's readiness for negotiations.
"Despite the increasingly loud talks about the need to engage in peace talks, there are objectively no practical actions indicating that Kyiv and the West are ready for them," Lavrov wrote.
He emphasized that Western military aid is still being supplied to Ukraine, and ultimatums for Russia are being worked on. "There is also the unresolved issue regarding the legality of Ukrainian authorities," stated the head of Russian diplomacy.
Waiting for a signal from Washington
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow is waiting for a signal from Washington that Trump is also ready for talks.
The day before, the US President expressed his desire to meet Putin during the Forum in Davos, in order to bring about the end of the war. Donald Trump emphasized that Ukraine is also ready for such discussions.
Russia and the USA, as major oil producers, are not interested in either excessively low or high prices of this resource, stated the Russian leader. Putin also highlighted that it is hard to imagine Trump making decisions that would harm the American economy.
