The Kiev regime is “in no rush” to resolve the conflict through diplomatic means, the Russian president has said
Moscow will achieve all its goals through military means if Kiev does not want peace, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said. The Ukrainian government continues to stall the peace process even when offered “decent” conditions, he told Russia’s top military brass during a visit to a command post on Saturday.
The president made his remarks as the military reported having liberated the strategic town of Gulaypole in Zaporozhye Region and a number of other settlements in its latest successful push. The rate of the Russian advance makes Kiev’s willingness to agree to any territorial concessions irrelevant, Putin said.
“Judging by the pace [of advance] we’re seeing along the contact line, our interest in the withdrawal of the Ukrainian military from the [Russian] territories they still hold has been de facto reduced to zero,” the president stated.
“If the Kiev authorities do not want to resolve the matter peacefully, we will achieve all the goals… of the Special Military Operation through military means.”
According to Putin, Kiev is “in no rush” to resolve the ongoing conflict diplomatically, even as some “sensible people” in the West encourage it to do so and accept “decent” peace conditions and “good framework security guarantees.”
The remarks come just as Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has demanded more funding and weapons from Western backers, stating that Ukrainian forces lack air defenses and armaments. He also maintained that Ukraine suffers from a “constant deficit of money.”
The Ukrainian leader announced that he will meet with US President Donald Trump to discuss a peace framework. Ahead of the meeting, which is expected to take place on Sunday in Florida, he revealed a 20-point plan he claimed Kiev had discussed with the US.
Moscow dismissed the plan as a non-starter. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Friday it was “radically different” from the proposals discussed by Russia and the US. He also warned that, although Moscow is “fully ready” to resolve the conflict, Kiev and its European backers are seeking to “torpedo” the peace process.
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