Putin signals willingness for talks if Ukraine takes action
Russia has never given up on peace talks with Ukraine, declared President Vladimir Putin. However, he noted that the Kremlin first needs to "deal with those bandits who have entered the territory of the Russian Federation."
Many of the reports provided by Russian media or government officials are elements of propaganda. Such reports are part of the information war being conducted by the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Putin took part in an open lesson titled "Conversations about Important Matters" at a school in Tuva. An eleventh-grader asked him about the situation on the front line. She said that conflicting information about peace negotiations with Ukraine is circulating online.
Putin responded that if Ukraine "desires to engage in peace negotiations and resolve these issues through peaceful means, not just words but actions," then the Russian authorities "will never refuse."
"But of course, we need to deal with those bandits who have entered the territory of the Russian Federation, specifically the Kursk region, and their attempts to destabilize the entire border area," he added.
Ukraine is ready
At the end of July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the war must end as soon as possible to avoid more casualties. For the first time since the spring of 2022, he also allowed for negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to him, these could happen during the second peace summit on Ukraine, but only on the condition that a peace plan is developed by then and Russia agrees to negotiations.
"If we want to end the war and have all the strength for it, if the world unites around Ukraine, we will talk with those in Russia who make all the decisions," emphasized Zelensky.
