MOSCOW:
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Thursday that Moscow is ready for peace talks with Ukraine at any time and place.
Speaking at a news conference in Vietnam’s capital Hanoi that was live-streamed on the Kremlin website, Putin said he expected that the West would oppose his peace initiative on Ukraine.
The Russian president questioned why Russia’s proposal was called “unrealistic” while no one criticized the same way Ukraine’s “ultimatum,” containing conditions unacceptable for Moscow.
Sane politicians will think about Russia’s proposal on Ukraine if they want to end the conflict, he said, warning that conditions may change depending on the situation on the battlefield.
At the same time, if Kyiv links the start of peace negotiations with the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine, then talks will never happen, he stressed.
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About the legitimacy of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Putin said that he expects him to be replaced by the West in the first half of 2025.
Commenting on NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg remarks about putting the alliance’s nuclear forces on alert, Putin said Russia is closely monitoring such intentions, and will respond adequately if something happens.
The Russian president also noted that the country’s authorities are thinking about changes to the nuclear doctrine because “opponents” lowered the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.
Asked if Moscow plans to include a pre-emptive nuclear strike in the new edition of the doctrine, the president said “no need,” explaining that Russian forces are capable of repelling the opponent’s attack “in counter strike.”
