Putin reiterates Russia's readiness for peace negotiations with Ukraine

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Moscow stands ready for peace negotiations with Ukraine, which must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the more than two-year-old conflict, including Russia's, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Speaking in an interview with Chinese state news Xinhua ahead of his visit to China, Putin expressed disappointment at the lack of support from the West for initiatives aimed at giving equal attention to the demands of all sides.

The Russian president praised China's proposal on Ukraine as "practicable and constructive" steps toward peace, emphasizing the potential of Beijing's plan to establish a foundation for a political and diplomatic peace process. China last year issued a 12-point statement outlining proposals for ending the war, which the West had dismissed.

"Unfortunately, neither Ukraine nor its Western patrons support these initiatives. They are not ready to engage in an equal, honest, and open dialogue based on mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests. They are reluctant to discuss the underlying causes, the very origins of the global crisis, which has manifested itself, inter alia, in the dramatic situation around Ukraine. Why? Because today's global shocks have been provoked precisely by their policies in the previous years and decades," he said.

Western elites are stubbornly working to "punish" Russia, isolate and weaken it, supplying the Kyiv authorities with money and arms, and imposing unilateral illegitimate sanctions against Russia, Putin said, noting that the number of restrictive measures against Russia exceeded 16,000.

"They are threatening to dismember our country. They are illegally trying to appropriate our foreign assets. They are turning a blind eye to the resurgence of Nazism and to Ukraine-sponsored terrorist attacks in our territory," he said.

Putin argued that Russia is seeking "a comprehensive, sustainable, and just settlement of this conflict through peaceful means."

"We are open to a dialogue on Ukraine, but such negotiations must take into account the interests of all countries involved in the conflict, including Russia's. They must also involve a substantive discussion on global stability and security guarantees for Russia's opponents and, naturally, for Russia itself," he said.

Putin stressed that the main problem is the reliability of guarantees since they are supposed to be provided by "states whose ruling circles seek to substitute the world order based on international law with an order based on certain rules."

"Russia stands ready for negotiations ... But instead of signing the peace agreement, the Ukrainian side suddenly announced the cessation of negotiations. Later on, Ukrainian officials said they had done so, inter alia, because their Western allies had recommended that they continue hostilities and apply joint efforts to achieve Russia's strategic defeat. We have never refused to negotiate," he said.

Turning to the Russian-Chinese cooperation, Putin said his personal relations with President Xi Jinping contribute to the development of partnership between the two countries.

Bilateral trade has flourished, with significant increases in turnover and substantial economic cooperation. Plans for further collaboration in industry, technology, and culture signal a promising future for the partnership, he said.

As global dynamics evolve, Russia and China stand united in their commitment to promoting peace, stability, and mutual prosperity through diplomatic engagement, cultural exchange, and multilateral cooperation, including within international organizations and associations such as the economic bloc BRICS and Shanghai Cooperation Organization, he said.