Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, stated that he is willing to engage “with everyone involved” in the conflict with Ukraine. In an interview that was broadcast on Russian media on Sunday, Putin stated that while the Kremlin is willing to engage, their adversaries are the ones who are refusing to do so.
The Russian Putin made these remarks in response to heavy Russian shelling on the Ukrainian city of Kherson on Christmas Eve, which resulted in at least 10 fatalities and more than 50 injuries.
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Following the tragic attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky branded Russia as “total evil” and claimed that it carried out the attacks “for the sake of terror and pleasure.”
When Zelensky visited the United States on Wednesday for his first international travel since the war began, he spoke with President Biden about what a “fair peace” might entail. Zelensky has outlined a list of ten prerequisites for peace, among them the complete withdrawal of Russia from Ukrainian land. Additionally, this would entail a Russian exodus from the Crimean Peninsula in compliance with Ukrainian demands.
Following a referendum supported by Russia that was deemed illegitimate by the majority of the international community, Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.
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Putin has already urged the international world and Ukraine to acknowledge Crimea as a part of Russia, but they have refused to do so.
According to The Associated Press, Putin claimed in the interview that Russia is defending its citizens’ rights and national interests in the 10-month conflict. But he said that Russia is willing to bargain with all parties to the conflict for “some acceptable outcomes.”
In a live press conference on Thursday, Putin for the first time referred to the conflict as a war and stated that Russia wanted to put an end to it. Prior to it, he had only described it as a “special military mission.”
This post originally appeared on WayneDupree.com.
