Vladimir Putin open to ceasefire negotiations with Ukraine: Report
President Vladimir Putin has been signalling through his intermediaries that Russia is willing to have a ceasefire negotiation with Ukraine, the New York Times (NYT) reported citing unnamed former Russian officials, along with American officials.
Since last September, Putin has been looking to stop “fighting along the current lines”, and that he may even be willing to accept a deal that seeks to put a stop to the two-year-long war.
“They say, ‘We are ready to have negotiations on a ceasefire’,” one senior international official who met with top Russians this fall, told the NYT newspaper.
“They want to stay where they are on the battlefield,” the official added.
Putin willing to stop
But what Putin seeks is the status quo of the current troops' position, rather than a complete cessation of territories occupied during the long-drawn war, the officials said.
“He really is willing to stop at the current positions,” one of the former senior Russian officials told The New York Times, relaying a message he said the Kremlin was quietly sending. The former official added, "He’s not willing to retreat one metre.”
However, it is unclear if the Ukrainian officials are willing to accept an armistice deal at this point given that they had vowed to take back the territories occupied by Russia, including Crimea.
The officials argued that Putin’s change in stance stems from a failed Ukrainian counteroffensive, a stalemate in the battleground and lack of willingness from the West to provide military aid.
Russian prez wants Russia to 'move on'
Putin wants, the officials added, Russia just declare victory and “move on”, two former senior Russian officials close to the Kremlin and US and international officials who have received the message from Putin’s envoys told the Times.
This is not the first time that Russia has sent peace overtures and expressed willingness to stop the war.
In 2022, according to US officials, Putin had suggested that he was satisfied with Russia’s performance on the battlefield when Ukraine routed Russia’s army in the country’s northeast, the NYT reported.
But few US officials opine that it could be a familiar attempt by the Kremlin to misdirect from the ground situation, and does not reflect genuine willingness by Putin to compromise.
(With inputs from agencies)
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