Notwithstanding the ongoing war situation in Ukraine, Russian’s President Vladimir Putin has openly declared his willingness to consider peace talks.
He noted that contrary to speculation, he hasn’t shut the door on diplomatic dialogues that would eventually result in resolution of the war.
Following his engagement with African leaders in St Petersburg, he highlighted the significance of African and Chinese initiatives as viable platforms for establishing peace.
According to information from the gathered, Putin pointed out the complexities involved in implementing a ceasefire amid the Ukrainian army’s ongoing offensive maneuvers.
Prior to this, both Ukraine and Russia have made it clear that they won’t enter into negotiations unless certain preconditions are met.
Kyiv has stated that it will not yield any territory, while Moscow has affirmed that its war-torn neighbor must acknowledge and accept its country’s ‘new territorial reality.’
Last year, Russia invaded Ukraine and currently occupies territory in the country’s southern and eastern regions.
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During the late-night press conference on Saturday, Putin stated that, at present, there are no intentions to escalate actions on the Ukrainian front.
In addition, he defended the arrest of critical voices, asserting that certain individuals were causing harm to Russia from within the country.
Moscow has outlawed any critique of its invasion of Ukraine, resulting in the detention or exile of most influential opposition leaders.
The Russian president, during the all-encompassing briefing, informed reporters about Moscow’s execution of specific ‘preventive strikes’ in response to an explosion that occurred on a Crimean bridge earlier this month.
Following the bridge incident that led to the unfortunate demise of two individuals, Putin vowed to retaliate against what he accused as a ‘terrorist’ act conducted by Ukraine.
However, Kyiv did not make any official claims of responsibility for the explosion on the bridge that links the occupied peninsula to Russia.
The Russia-Africa summit has been scheduled after a gathering last month, where Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and Putin met with leaders and representatives from seven African countries.