Putin: Russia can wait as Ukraine delays peace talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin has reiterated that Moscow’s objectives regarding Ukraine remain unchanged and that Russia is willing to wait if Kyiv believes the time is not right for negotiations.

“We can wait,” Putin told reporters. “If the Ukrainian leadership thinks that now is not the right time and prefers to postpone, we are ready to wait.”

Putin described the recent negotiations held in Istanbul as yielding some positive outcomes, highlighting in particular the mutual exchange of soldiers' remains. “We have handed over thousands of the bodies of Ukrainian soldiers and received the bodies of dozens of Russian soldiers,” he said, pointing to this as a tangible result of the talks.

He further stressed the importance of establishing a peace framework with no expiration date. “All of this must be discussed and should form the basis for a long-term, lasting peace without any time limits,” the Russian leader emphasised.

Addressing Russia’s demands on Ukraine, Putin clarified that what was announced in June 2024 should not be seen as mere conditions but rather as strategic goals. “These are not conditions, but goals,” he explained. “People kept saying they didn’t understand what Russia wanted, so we defined our goals last June during a meeting with the leadership of the Foreign Ministry.”

Putin also responded positively to a proposal reportedly raised by a Ukrainian negotiator during previous discussions. The idea was to consider the security of both Russia and Ukraine within the framework of broader European security.

“One of the Ukrainian delegation’s leaders said that maybe we should talk about ensuring the security of both countries in the context of common European security. We believe that’s a sound idea,” Putin stated.

By Tamilla Hasanova