Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to engage in peace negotiations over Ukraine, but the Kremlin insists that its core war aims remain intact, according to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
“President Putin has repeatedly expressed his desire for a peaceful resolution,” Peskov said Sunday. “But this is a long and difficult process. The most important thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear.”
Among Russia’s stated objectives are securing full control over four partially occupied eastern Ukrainian provinces and obtaining both Ukrainian and international recognition of those territories as Russian. Moscow also demands the demilitarization of Ukraine and a formal guarantee that the country will never join NATO.