Putin says Russia wants end to war in Ukraine

'All armed conflicts end one way or another with some kind of negotiations', says Russian president


Reuters December 23, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting via video link in Sochi, Russia September 27, 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia wants an end to the war in Ukraine and that this would inevitably involve a diplomatic solution.

Putin made the comments a day after US President Joe Biden hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the White House and promised him continued and unwavering US support.

"Our goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war," Putin said. "We will strive for an end to this, and the sooner the better, of course."

White House spokesperson John Kirby said Putin has "shown absolutely zero indication that he's willing to negotiate" an end to the war, which began when Moscow sent troops into Ukraine on Feb 24.

"Quite the contrary," Kirby told reporters during an online briefing. "Everything he (Putin) is doing on the ground and in the air bespeaks a man who wants to continue to visit violence upon the Ukrainian people" and "escalate the war".

Kirby reiterated that Biden was open to talks with Putin, but only after the Russian leader "showed a seriousness about negotiations" and after consultations with Ukraine and US allies.

Russia has persistently said it is open to negotiations, but Ukraine and its allies suspect a ploy to buy time after a series of Russian defeats and retreats that have swung the momentum of the 10-month war in favour of Kyiv.

"I have said many times: the intensification of hostilities leads to unjustified losses," Putin told reporters.

"All armed conflicts end one way or another with some kind of negotiations on the diplomatic track," he added. "Sooner or later, any parties in a state of conflict sit down and make an agreement. The sooner this realisation comes to those who oppose us, the better. We have never given up on this."

Russia says it is Ukraine that is refusing to talk. Kyiv says Russia must halt its attacks and give up all territory it has seized.

Putin also played down the significance of the Patriot air defence system that Biden agreed to supply to Zelenskiy, saying Russia would find a way to counter it.

He said it was "quite old" and did not work like Russia's S-300 system. "An antidote will always be found," he said, boasting Russia would "crack" the Patriots.

"So those who do it are doing it in vain. It's just prolonging the conflict, that's all."

Putin also said a price cap imposed on Russian oil by Western countries, designed to limit its ability to fund the war, would not damage the Russian economy. He said he would sign a decree early next week to set out Russia's response.

COMMENTS (2)

test | 1 year ago | Reply Putin is a good man but I doubt his actions regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. I want to say is that the alliances formed after Russia s war with Ukraine doesn t make sense at all. For example Pakistan and India are rivals but they are closer to China and Russia as Pakistan is an ally of China while India is an ally of Russia. Let me come straight to the point India also has very good ties with West US EU because they have invested a lot of money in India as well transferred technology to India while the relations between Pakistan and west are going downward from the past decade. Neither West has transferred any technology to Pakistan nor it has any investment in Pakistan. So if Russia was really true about the war he would have chosen Pakistan over India because Pakistan and China are closer and doesn t enjoy that much good relations with west like India do. So Pakistan China Russia alliance makes sense without india because india has relations with west. And also why Russia didn t attacked United States who initiated this war after pushing Ukraine to join NATO to combat Russia which is same as if Mexico forming an military alliance with Russia to attack United States. But guess what neither Russia attacked United States nor it attacked Europe Last but not least Russia has to make clear decisions regarding war as what it want from war does it want to have war with United States and Europe or does it want to fight Ukraine and also in which league it want to stand in terms of new military alliances. Will it make technology transfer to Pakistan or will it stick to Pakistan s rival India Will Russia attack United States and Europe Will there be a world war 3 These are the questions which Putin Biden and other world leaders can answer the best.
test | 1 year ago | Reply Putin is a good leader but I doubt his honesty regarding the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. I want to say is that the alliances formed after Russia s war with Ukraine doesn t make sense at all. For example Pakistan and India are rivals but they are closer to China and Russia as Pakistan is an ally of China while India is an ally of Russia. Let me come straight to the point India also has very good ties with West US EU because they have invested a lot of money in India as well transferred technology to India while the relations between Pakistan and west are going downward from the past decade. Neither West has transferred any technology to Pakistan nor it has any investment in Pakistan. So if Russia was really true about the war he would have chosen Pakistan over India because Pakistan and China are closer and doesn t enjoy that much good relations with west like India do. So Pakistan China Russia alliance makes sense without india because india has relations with west.
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