Russia Ready for Talks with Ukraine ‘Based on Realities on Ground,’ Putin Says
Published on March 13, 2024
Moscow is willing to enter talks with Kyiv as long as they reflect “realities on the ground,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with state media. “Are we ready for negations? Yes, we are,” the Russian leader said in the interview, which was broadcast on March 13. “But negotiations should not be based on wishful thinking … but on realities on the ground,” he added. Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago with the stated aim of protecting Russian speakers in the country’s east and halting the further expansion of NATO. In late 2022, Moscow effectively annexed four regions of southern and eastern Ukraine, which it now views as Russian Federation territory....