Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that Russia has never turned its back on economic cooperation with the United States, adding that the American businesses could benefit from joint projects if Washington allows. The Russian president then added that he is ready to hold talks with Ukraine counterpart but at the same time raises credibility questions for the same. His remarks came during a plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
“The two-headed eagle, one of our national symbols, looks both ways,” Putin said, referencing Russia’s coat of arms.
"Did we turn our backs on anyone? We did not. The eagle looks both ways just like always."
Meanwhile, Putin said that direct talks with Zelenskyy hold no significance without having proper arrangements. Yet, he added, he will meet him anyway.
Putin, who has already held meetings with the US President Donald Trump, outlining the ways he wants to end the conflict in Ukraine, has said reaching agreements with Kyiv on key issues would be “practically impossible”. He said apart from political will, there are technical and legal issues involved in this case, particularly those related to territorial questions.
The President was referring to the status of Crimea and other Donbas regions, along with several Russian-speaking territories that voted to join Russia in referendums in 2014 and 2022.
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Putin mocked Zelenskyy and his government, saying, “This very government did not want to hold direct talks with Russia in 2022, yet they are now asking for the same arrangement," adding that he sees no sense in such meetings and arrangements when the Ukrainian government does not want to cede territory to Russia.
Putin has constantly questioned the legality and credibility of Volodymyr Zelenskyy over having the right to sign the peace agreement on behalf of Ukraine. Zelenskyy’s presidential term expired last May, but he has refused to hold elections, citing martial law.
“Therefore, this endless process leads nowhere. Nevertheless, we have said that we are ready for meetings at the highest level,” Putin added.
The Kyiv regime, backed by the EU, has constantly rejected the proposal; according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga, Zelenskyy takes a possible meeting with Putin seriously and is ready “at any time” but will not accept “deliberately unacceptable proposals."
The Russian president has also clarified his position, saying that what talks cannot achieve, forces will accomplish on the ground, frustrating Ukraine and its backers.
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