Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (December 22) spoke of ending the Ukraine war. He hinted that this would inevitably involve a diplomatic solution. Putin’s words have come a day after US President Joe Biden hosted Ukrainian President Voldymyr Zelensky in the White House. Ukraine is soon to get more help from the US as Ukrainian troops fight against the Russians.
“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.”
“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 realization comes to those who oppose us, the better. We have never given up on this.”
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Russia has maintained that it was open to negotiations but Ukraine and its allies suspect that its a move to buy time after several military defeats Russia has suffered.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 this year. After sustained gains in first few months, Russian soldiers have had to retreat in the face of Ukrainian counterattack.
Russia claims that it is Ukraine that doesn’t want to come to the negotiation table. Ukraine has demanded that Russia should halt attacks and return captured regions before any negotiations.
(With inputs from agencies)
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