Putin's message of dialogue and agreement to Europe and Ukraine: The conflict will end

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with representatives of international news agencies at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Responding to questions regarding the ongoing conflict with Ukraine and the tensions with Western countries, Putin sent a message specifically to European nations that continue to strongly support the Kyiv administration.

"The negotiating party needs to be reliable people"

Reiterating that they are always open to dialogue with Europe, Putin said, "I want to emphasize once again that we have not abandoned dialogue. If they want to restart a dialogue with Russia, they are welcome to do so. I do not know who in Europe wants this. I have heard some claims that Russia is making impositions and regarding who the negotiating party should be. We are not making any impositions; we are just curious about who will take on this responsibility. It is worth repeating: the negotiating party needs to be reliable people." he said.

On the other hand, drawing attention to the position of European countries in the resolution of the Ukraine issue, Putin stated, "EU countries can help resolve the Ukraine issue. However, they should do this not by supplying weapons, but by making efforts to persuade Kyiv to reach a compromise."

Putin also argued that they do not oppose Ukraine's membership in the EU, but that there are efforts to turn the EU into a military alliance.

"The Russian army holds 2,400 square kilometers of territory under its control"

Putin also touched upon the regions in eastern Ukraine held by the Russian army. Arguing that the Russian army controls an area of 2,400 square kilometers, Putin said, "To avoid mistakes, I cannot provide information regarding the specific settlements we control. However, the Russian army holds 2,400 square kilometers of territory, and the advance continues. Currently, we have the entirety of Luhansk, more than 85 percent of Donetsk, and 80 percent of Zaporizhzhia under our control."

"We did not fire the Oreshnik missile at the battlefield"

Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the global attention surrounding the "Oreshnik" hypersonic ballistic missile launched by the Russian army into Ukrainian territory. Stating that the Oreshnik missile was not fired at the battlefield, Putin said, "We have tested similar systems, but we did not fire the Oreshnik at the battlefield."

Noting that the missile was fired at an idle area damaged in the war and that they were monitoring its effects, Putin said, "The Oreshnik missile was fired at a location where the test results could be observed. Afterward, we conducted inspections there with our unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). We calculated everything down to the millimeter. This was important for our decisions regarding the use of the Oreshnik missile in rural and urban areas."

"The number of Ukrainian deserters has exceeded 60,000"

Claiming that Ukraine has suffered heavy losses in the war with Russia, Putin provided the following information: "Under the forced mobilization in Ukraine, approximately 15,000 to 16,000 people are gathered each month. They are rounding people up from the streets as if they were rounding up dogs. Since the new year, approximately 20,000 people have been deserting every month in Ukraine. The number of those who have deserted since the beginning of the year has exceeded 60,000."

"If Ukraine accepts the compromise options discussed in Anchorage, the conflict will end"

Responding to questions about when the war with Ukraine will end, Putin recalled the summit he held with US President Donald Trump in Anchorage, Alaska. Reminding that a formula for resolving the territorial issue in Ukraine was developed at that summit, Putin emphasized their readiness for a compromise on this basis, stating, "We are ready to resolve the issue with Ukraine through peaceful means. This basis is the same one we discussed with Donald Trump. At that time, we were asked about the concessions Russia could make. Russia accepted these concessions at the Anchorage meeting. This conflict will reach a natural conclusion in a short time."

Adding that achieving a potential peace with Ukraine would be of historical significance, Putin said, "I say this without exaggeration; this agreement will be of historical importance for both Russia and Ukraine."

"A referendum should be held in Armenia for EU accession"

Sending a message to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Putin noted that the Armenian leader has recently turned toward the West and Europe, while increasingly distancing himself from the Eurasian Economic Union. Recalling Pashinyan's recent remarks that a referendum could be held on Armenia's accession to the EU, Putin said, "If it is being considered, that is all we would want. This should be done as soon as possible."

Emphasizing that their relations with Azerbaijan are improving despite the tension with Armenia, Putin stated, "I find the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan to be very good. We have always had good relations with Azerbaijan, both economically and politically. We signed a strategic cooperation agreement a few years ago. Relations are developing in this way."

News Source: 12punto