Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the United States is listening to Russia’s justifications for its invasion of Ukraine, and both countries have reached a “mutual understanding” about the three-and-a-half-year war.
Putin made these comments during a bilateral meeting with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing, China. “Now we see this mutual understanding, it’s noticeable,” Putin said, expressing hope that the constructive dialogue would continue.
The development comes as Moscow faces pressure from the Trump administration to end the war in Ukraine. Washington has imposed additional tariffs on India for purchasing Russian oil, aiming to increase pressure on the Kremlin.
Despite this, Trump claimed to have made “great progress” after meeting Putin in Alaska last month, although no deal has been reached to secure an end to Europe’s deadliest war since World War II.
Putin emphasized that Russia considers NATO membership for Ukraine “unacceptable,” while Ukraine’s membership in the European Union has never been opposed by Russia. “As for NATO, this is another issue… Our position here is well known: we consider this unacceptable for ourselves,” Putin emphasized. He added that discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine would require Russia’s involvement.
Western European leaders have expressed concerns that Moscow is not serious about ending the war and that a Russian victory could lead to further targeting of the continent and NATO.
However, Putin dismissed these claims as “horror stories” and “hysteria” promoted by “incompetent people” seeking to portray Russia as an enemy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested the Swiss city of Geneva as a potential venue for ceasefire talks.
Trump had proposed a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin to push for an end to the war.
Meanwhile, dozens of European nations will participate in a meeting of the “coalition of the willing” to discuss post-war security in Ukraine.
Negotiation talks have stalled, with Moscow insisting on holding all captured territories since its invasion in 2022, while Ukraine refuses to give up its land. Ukraine’s European allies have also resisted the idea of Russia retaining captured Ukrainian land.
Putin reiterated that Russia needs to “look out for its own security” and that discussions on security guarantees for Ukraine require Russia’s involvement.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico told Putin that Slovakia is “extremely interested” in standardizing relations with Russia, while other Western European leaders continue to show support for Ukraine.
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