Russia-Ukraine War: Putin Offers Ceasefire, Talks with Trump
In a significant turn, Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to negotiate a ceasefire and engage in talks with Donald Trump, the elected U.S. President, to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has been ongoing for over two years.
Putin, during his annual Q&A session with the public broadcast on state TV, responded to a question about the war in Ukraine, stating that he was ready to discuss peace with Trump. He acknowledged that the Russian military had made considerable progress in the war but refrained from giving a timeline for retaking certain areas, such as the western Kursk region, from Ukrainian forces.
Putin’s willingness to negotiate comes after Trump, during his election campaign, had promised to end the conflict within a day if elected as U.S. President. Despite being president-elect, Trump has not yet commented on whether he plans to meet with Putin or discuss peace terms.
The Russian president emphasized that any discussions with Trump would cover a wide range of issues, including unspecified military operations and Russia’s plans to achieve its stated objectives in Ukraine. Putin also criticized U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to retaliate against Russian missiles using American-supplied weapons.