President Vladimir Putin of Russia publicly acknowledged, this Friday, that reaching agreements with Ukraine would be necessary. He reiterated his long-standing position that Moscow is prepared to engage, even as he questioned the West’s willingness to come to terms. He reflected on the Minsk peace framework and its eight-year record in Donbass.
Speaking after his participation in the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Bishkek, Putin told reporters that he felt disappointed by a recent interview with former German chancellor Angela Merkel in Der Spiegel. In that piece, Merkel expressed the view that signing the Minsk accords would allow Ukraine time to bolster its defenses against a Russian attack.
Putin described the remarks as unexpected and disappointing, noting that he had always perceived a candid, principled approach from the German leadership in its dealings with Moscow.
He added that Merkel had, in his view, supported Ukraine while still signaling an intent to reach a framework aligned with the Minsk process, a point he said underscored Moscow’s belief that the right principles had been set and pursued. He argued that Merkel’s statements suggested that Russia’s military action, launched on February 24, was justified in the context of those principles.
Putin also recalled that Ukraine’s former president, Petro Poroshenko, had stated he would not adhere to Minsk. He said he hoped other participants in the process would be honest, but suggested they had misled Moscow as well. He asserted that the objective had been to arm Ukraine and prepare it for renewed hostilities, and he wondered whether the process might have begun earlier as a result.
without trust
The president pointed to a trust deficit as the core issue, telling reporters that confidence in negotiations had eroded almost entirely. He questioned what could be negotiated, with whom, and under what guarantees, noting that these questions now loom over talks.
Nevertheless, he conceded that talks would have to take place eventually. He stated that Moscow remained open to an agreement, but emphasized the need to know precisely who Moscow would be negotiating with and what the terms would entail.
Putin reiterated that those involved in any resolution would need to acknowledge the factual realities on the ground. He reiterated that Russia has repeatedly asserted that Ukraine must recognize Russia’s claims, including the annexation of Crimea and, in his view, new realities in Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk. He spoke of a need for an honest reckoning of the situation as conditions evolve on the ground.
kyiv fight
The Russian leader noted that Moscow does not control all four southern and eastern provinces cited in the annexation claims, and that Western nations, along with Kyiv, reject the move as illegal. Kyiv has maintained that it will oppose any encroachment and insists it will fight until all occupied lands are liberated.
Putin did not dwell on military setbacks seen over the past months, including Russia’s withdrawals from areas north of Kyiv and later from the Kherson region after earlier advances near Kharkiv. He claimed that the situation at the moment showed no major problems and that the special military operation continued with relative stability.
As the conflict persists, Moscow stressed the ongoing nature of its campaign and framed its actions within a broader security narrative, while Kyiv and the West continue to view the moves as illegal and an infringement on Ukraine’s sovereignty. The dialogue about future steps remains contentious, with both sides calling for guarantees and clear terms before resuming talks.