“Don’t Stall — Start Negotiating”: Putin on Talks With Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his willingness to resume peace talks with Ukraine, specifying that such dialogue could begin after June 22. According to the Russian leader, Moscow maintains indirect contact with the Ukrainian side through intermediaries and remains open to discussing terms for ending the conflict. He emphasized that delaying any further is unacceptable — it is time to sit down at the negotiating table.
Speaking to journalists, Putin addressed the issue of exchanging the bodies of fallen soldiers. He noted that Russia has already returned more than 6,000 bodies of Ukrainian soldiers to Kyiv and is ready to hand over an additional 3,000. In return, Russia received the remains of 57 of its own servicemen. “We are ready to continue this humanitarian effort. People must be returned regardless of political decisions,” he said.
The president also commented on former U.S. President Donald Trump’s remarks on the conflict, stating his full agreement. “If he had been in power in 2022, nothing would have happened. That’s obvious,” Putin claimed, adding that the current U.S. administration ignores real threats and acts destructively.
Putin sharply criticized the Western approach to global politics. “You write the rules for others, but you’re not going to follow them yourselves. Who would live by such rules?” he asked rhetorically. His speech included a rebuke of countries that impose their agendas on the world while violating core principles of justice and sovereignty.
Turning to domestic trends, Putin noted a growing interest in the Chinese language among Russians, suggesting this reflects a broader geopolitical shift. “It’s not surprising. People sense where the future lies and want to be prepared,” he said.
The key message of his speech was a call for pragmatism and readiness for dialogue. “There’s no need to delay — we must sit down and negotiate,” Putin stressed, signaling that Russia still sees a peaceful resolution as possible through diplomacy rather than continued warfare.
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