President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia seeks to “end the war” in Ukraine and does not refuse to negotiate with Kyiv, but U.S. officials say the opposite is true and Putin has shown no inclination to hold talks, writes rferl.org.
Putin, speaking to reporters on December 22, a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy visited Washington and spoke before a joint session of Congress, said he was seeking a speedy resolution to the war.
But White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that Putin’s actions had been “quite the contrary.” Kirby said Putin had “shown absolutely zero indication that he’s willing to negotiate” an end to the war.
U.S. President Joe Biden is open to talks with Putin, Kirby said, but only after Putin “showed a seriousness about negotiations” and after consultations with Ukraine and U.S. allies.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said Russia had shown no real interest in in meaningful diplomacy to bring the war to an end.
Blinken told a news conference that Russia could immediately end the war by withdrawing troops, but “in the absence of that, we have to see some meaningful evidence that Russia is prepared to actually negotiate a just and durable peace.”
Blinken said he spoke virtually on December 22 with foreign ministers of the G7 industrialized democracies about ideas for peace proposed by Zelenskiy during his visit to Washington.
Zelenskiy’s ideas are “a good start,” Blinken said, and peace would have to be “just and durable.” He reiterated that United States would not impose its own solutions on Ukraine.
Based on all conversations with Ukraine, including the ones on December 21, “it is clear that we have the same goals: a free and independent, prosperous, democratic Ukraine that demonstrates that the principles of the UN Charter are respected, including territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence,” Blinken added.
Putin said earlier on December 22 that he hoped the conflict ends “and the sooner, the better.”
“Our goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war,” Putin said.
He said Ukraine had “forbade itself to negotiate.”
“Nevertheless, sooner or later, of course, any parties that are 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,” Putin said.
Russia has said before it was open to negotiations, but Ukraine and its allies suspect the statements are a ploy to buy time to regroup on the battlefield.
