Putin's surprising admission. Speaks of war for the first time since the conflict's start
11:02 AM EST, November 23, 2023
Chancellor Olaf Scholz has reached out to Vladimir Putin, urging him to bring to an end the military activities in Ukraine, according to AFP reports. Putin, who attended the virtual G20 summit, brushed off the accusations of Western leaders about the war. He also issued some surprising comments that he hadn't made since the conflict began.
The head of the German government, at a press conference in Berlin, stated that Putin's presence at the G20 summit was a "valuable chance" to concisely address how to cease the ongoing war in Ukraine. "Russia initiated the attack on Ukraine. Maintaining peace will be straightforward once Russia withdraws its troops," Scholz stated, as quoted by AFP.
Putin provided a short reply to these remarks. "Indeed, war activities are inevitably tragic. We should consider how to terminate this tragedy," he declared.
His statements were deemed as unexpected by international media. This is the first instance since the start of the conflict in Ukraine where Putin has referred to the situation as "war" instead of using the Kremlin's usual phrasing, "special military operation".
The Russian leader also voiced that "Russia has consistently been open to peace talks with Ukraine". However, he blamed the government in Kyiv for being the party "rejecting negotiations".
War Shows No Signs of Abating as Putin Describes it as a "Tragedy"
At present, Russia holds control over approximately 20 percent of Ukraine's territory, encompassing the Crimean Peninsula on the Black Sea, which was first annexed in 2014. "The withdrawal of Russian troops is a prerequisite for lasting peace, a point that Moscow disregards," the DPA agency points out.
Putin missed the previous G20 summit involving world leaders held in India and Indonesia in September. Instead, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov represented Russia.
The G20 nations' heads of state and government held a video conference, an event orchestrated by India, the current chair of this organization. As of December, Brazil will assume the presidency.
