Putin again claims to be ready for peace talks but only with guarantees for Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia is supposedly ready for a peaceful solution to the war it has unleashed against Ukraine, but only on condition that the territories it has captured will be taken into account and Moscow is provided with guarantees.

Source: Putin in an interview with Kremlin-aligned Russian news agencies Russia 1, RIA Novosti, and RT; BBC News Russian

Quote from Putin: "Are we ready for negotiations? Yes, we are, but we are only willing to negotiate based on the realities that have emerged, as they say in such cases, on the ground, rather than on some kind of fantasies created by psychotropic drugs."

Details: Putin added that "possible negotiations are not a pause for rearming Kyiv, but a serious conversation with security guarantees for Moscow."

Putin claimed he already knew the "carrots [i.e. incentives] they are going to offer him" to prove that the right time had come for talks.

Quote from Putin: "They’re snorting cocaine now, right? Well, it doesn't matter, it's even easier with such people. It's tougher with the smart ones, they are more dangerous as they influence the consciousness of society, including ours. They will toss out all sorts of their desires under the guise of carrots for us."

Why this is important: Russia invaded Ukraine and occupied Ukraine's Crimea and part of Donbas in 2014. The Russian Federation commenced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, launching missiles and bombs on civilian settlements across the country overnight. Notably, in the early days of the full-scale war, Russian propagandists extensively disseminated claims that "Russia will take Kyiv in three days", while Russian soldiers marching on Kyiv carried their ceremonial uniforms to parade down Kyiv's central Khreshchatyk Street.

Nevertheless, Ukraine's Armed Forces expelled Russian troops from Kyiv, Chernihiv and Sumy oblasts and continue to hold back the Russians on other fronts.

Realising that it would be impossible to achieve victory with force, Russia started to promote the idea of alleged peace talks through which it would seek to retain all the occupied territories. At the same time, the Russians are continuing to terrorise Ukraine, striking energy and civilian infrastructure and residential buildings. They often do so during the night.

Russian forces are suffering heavy losses regardless of their vast number of weapons and hardware. Russia has failed to achieve even the most minor strategic victory, such as reaching the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as of early March 2024, after over ten years of war and more than two years of full-scale invasion. Fighting for every street and house is ongoing in the cities and villages of Ukraine's east. Russia has been trying to find weapons and mercenaries in other countries.

Ukraine views the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory, the restoration of Ukraine's 1991 borders, the release of all prisoners of war, war criminals being brought to justice and Russia paying reparations as the preconditions for negotiations. Ukraine's Peace Formula outlines all of this.

Background:

• Earlier, Pope Francis advised Ukraine to "have the courage of the white flag" and negotiate with Russia.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded that "Russian murderers and torturers are not moving further into Europe solely because they are being held back by Ukrainians with weapons in their hands under the blue and yellow flag".

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