FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he hopes peace talks between Moscow and Kiev will continue and that working groups can discuss possible compromises.
However, he clarified that Russia wants a "lasting peace" in Ukraine, adding that Moscow's conditions remain unchanged.
"We need a stable and lasting peace on solid foundations that would satisfy both Russia and Ukraine and serve the security of both countries," Putin told reporters during a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in northern Russia.
"The conditions (from the Russian side) certainly remain the same," he added.
Speaking a week before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for Russia to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or face new sanctions, including on countries that buy energy from Moscow, Putin gave no sign of any change in the country's stance.
He said that if anyone is disappointed with the outcome of the peace talks so far, it is a consequence of excessive expectations. He also stated that the talks should be held "without cameras and in a calm atmosphere."
He said Russian troops were attacking Ukraine along the entire front line and that the momentum was in their favor, citing his Defense Ministry's announcement on Thursday that Moscow's forces had captured the Ukrainian town of Chasiv Yar after a 16-month battle.
Vladimir Putin also stated that the first batch of mass-produced Oreshnik ballistic missile systems has been delivered to the Russian military.
In previous statements, Putin has claimed that this particular missile cannot be intercepted by the enemy.
"I will add that there are no countermeasures for such a missile, no means to intercept it, in today's world. And I will emphasize once again that we will continue to test this newest system. It is necessary to establish serial production," he has said in the past.
Lini një Përgjigje