Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed Moscow’s willingness to engage in negotiations with Ukraine, suggesting that any talks should be based on a draft agreement from the Istanbul talks of 2022, which was never finalized.
At the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Wednesday, Putin emphasized that Russia is open to dialogue but insists it should follow the terms of the Istanbul deal rather than “ephemeral demands.”
“Are we ready to negotiate? We have never refused, but it must be based on the documents agreed upon and signed in Istanbul,” Putin stated.
The Kremlin has long maintained that Russia and Ukraine were close to reaching a deal in the spring of 2022, shortly after Moscow’s offensive began.
“We managed to reach an agreement, as evidenced by the signature of the Ukrainian delegation head on the document, indicating that the Ukrainian side was generally satisfied with the terms,” Putin said.
He further claimed that the agreement did not come into effect because the United States, Europe, and certain European countries wanted to achieve a strategic defeat of Russia.
In recent developments, Ukraine carried out a significant cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August, involving thousands of troops and capturing several villages. In response, Putin declared that negotiations were off the table.
