Putin rejects idea of ending war with Ukraine in call with Trump
Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Vladimir Putin, has said that the Russian leader rejected the prospect of peace talks and stressed that Russia will continue fighting until it has achieved "all its objectives" during a phone call with US President Donald Trump.
Source: Ushakov, speaking to Russian propagandists
Details: Ushakov said that Trump had "warmly wished Putin a happy birthday, informally wished him success and well-being and passed on greetings from the First Lady". Putin thanked Trump for his attention to dialogue with Moscow and stressed that Russia's position on its aggression against Ukraine remained unchanged.
Putin categorically ruled out the possibility of resuming peace talks. He accused Ukraine of attempting to disrupt Russian elections. He also sought to convince Trump that Ukrainian resistance "has no prospects whatsoever" and that Russian occupying forces "have the initiative entirely in their hands and are advancing".
Ushakov claimed that, following the call, Trump had instructed that the "signals" he had received from Russia be conveyed to the Ukrainian side.
He also said that both leaders expressed satisfaction with the way communication channels are functioning, particularly those involving the intelligence services.
The leaders also discussed a possible future meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, "if they both attend".
According to Ushakov, the leaders spoke for an hour and a half and, during the call, "neither wanted to be the first to hang up".
Background:
- On the evening of 9 October, Trump said he had spoken by phone with Putin and agreed on supplies of millions of tonnes of Russian diesel to US and global markets.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly criticised Trump's actions, describing the easing of sanctions as an "absolutely terrible" move. He stressed that this "happy birthday present for Putin" will provide Russia with billions more to continue the war.
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