Putin ready for Ukraine talks ‘without preconditions’: Kremlin
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Russian President Vladimir Putin welcoming US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting in Moscow.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW - Russia is ready to hold peace talks with Ukraine “without preconditions”, President Vladimir Putin told US envoy Steve Witkoff at a meeting on April 25, the Kremlin said on April 26.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “During yesterday’s talks with (US President Donald) Trump’s envoy Witkoff, Vladimir Putin reiterated that Russia is ready to resume negotiations with Ukraine without any preconditions.”
He added that Mr Putin has stated that several times in the past.
The Russian President has regularly set out his demands regarding Ukraine, which include control of the five Ukrainian regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, Ukraine’s renunciation of seeking North Atlantic Treaty Organisation membership and its demilitarisation.
More broadly, Mr Putin views the conflict as a “hybrid war” waged by Nato against Russia and wants to overhaul Europe’s security architecture, particularly the positioning of Nato forces based near Russia’s borders.
Mr Putin and Mr Witkoff on April 25 discussed the possibility of direct talks
Russia and Ukraine have not held direct talks on the fighting since the start of Moscow’s offensive in 2022.
The conflict has devastated swathes of eastern Ukraine and killed tens of thousands of people. AFP
