Russian President said that Russia wants an end to the war in Ukraine. He also said that the conflict would inevitably involve a diplomatic solution as soon as possible.
Putin said, “Our goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but to end this war.”
“We will strive for an end to this, and the sooner the better, of course.”
Russian President Putin issued this statement a day after US President Joe Biden hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the White House.
Biden promises to continue the US assistance to Ukraine for war against Russia.
Meanwhile, John Kirby, a White House spokesman said Putin “showed zero indication that he’s willing to negotiate” an end to the war when Moscow sent its troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022.
“Kirby told reporters that everything Putin is doing bespeaks a man who wants to continue and “escalate the war.”
Importantly, Russian leaders have repeatedly said they are open to negotiations, but Ukraine and its allies consider it a ploy to buy time after a series of Russian retreats in favour of Kyiv.
“I have said many times: the intensification of hostilities leads to unjustified losses,” Putin told reporters.
Putin said, “Ukraine is refusing to talk while 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.
Russian President Putin said it was “quite old” and did not work like Russia’s S-300 system. “An antidote will always be found,” he said, adding Russia would destroy the Patriots.
