Kremlin denies reports of Putin's readiness to freeze Ukraine war

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on reports by Reuters that Putin is ready to freeze the war in Ukraine. He claimed that was not true. Peskov added that Putin had stated his readiness for the negotiations. However, as Peskov said, the negotiations could lead to achieving the goals the Russian army currently pursues.

Reuters reported that four Russian sources claim that Vladimir Putin is ready to freeze the war in Ukraine. The informants emphasized that the dictator could negotiate a ceasefire with the recognition of the current front line. Officially, this means that the Russians would not withdraw from the territories they occupied after the brutal invasion began in 2022.

However, Kyiv has previously stated that negotiations will begin when Moscow agrees to return to the status quo before the outbreak of the war.

Three Russian sources contacted by Reuters noted that Putin "expressed frustration" during discussions with his advisers over the "West's support for attempts to hinder negotiations." The dictator also pointed out Volodymyr Zelensky's statement, in which he said he would not hold peace talks with Moscow as long as Putin is in power.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented that was not true since Putin, according to Peskov, had stated his readiness for the negotiations. However, the negotiations, as he emphasized, could have ended only in the achievements of clear stated goals which are currently pursued through the military actions.

Peskov reminded that the Russian Federation's Constitution "determines the composition" of the Country, including four new territories.

The Russian leader's press secretary recalled that Putin pointed to "previous very complex documents," which could serve as fundamental grounds only for the primary talks. The President of the Russian Federation had previously noted that the basis for an agreement in Ukraine could be the agreements from March 2022 in Istanbul, which Kyiv rejected in favour of the West.

Earlier, Peskov, in response to a request for comment on the agency's findings, stressed that the Russian leader had previously repeatedly declared that his country is "open to dialogue." He stated that the Kremlin does not intend to conduct an "eternal war".

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defence of Ukraine did not comment on the matter.