Newsletters
Russian President Vladimir Putin described the third round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine hosted by Türkiye in Istanbul as positive, stating "Negotiations are always needed. Negotiations are important."
Putin made the assessment while answering journalists' questions on Valaam Island in Lake Ladoga on Friday, where he met with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Evaluating the Russia-Ukraine negotiations held July 23 in Istanbul, Putin said: "Negotiations are always needed. Negotiations are important. Negotiations are generally positive. Can the return of thousands of people to their homeland be viewed negatively? This is positive."
Putin noted they had handed over the bodies of 1,000 soldiers to Ukraine and received dozens of Russian soldiers' bodies in return, emphasizing this was also positive.
"All disappointments in negotiations come from excessive expectations," Putin continued. "However, to reach a peaceful solution to the crisis, it is necessary to conduct comprehensive consultations quietly, not publicly. For this, we proposed to Ukraine to create three working groups. In general, the Ukrainian side reacted positively to this."
Regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's statement that "there is no point in negotiating with Russia and one should wait until the administration changes," Putin responded: "If the Ukrainian administration thinks that the appropriate time for negotiations has not yet come and that we should wait, we are ready to wait."
Putin claimed the Russian government was legitimate but stated: "The same cannot be said for Ukraine. The government in Ukraine is not in accordance with the country's Constitution. There is a violation of the Constitution."
Putin said the Russian army continues to advance along the entire front line and claimed Russia had captured the city of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region several days ago.
"Today they have a different, passionate desire and want to stop our advance at any cost. They promise us a good life or make threats," Putin said.
He also announced that the first serial production of the "Oreshnik" hypersonic ballistic missile system had been completed and delivered to the Russian army, with plans to deploy the system to Belarus by year's end.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for moving from technical meetings to leader-level talks to end the war.
In a Telegram post evaluating Putin's statements on negotiations, Zelenskyy noted U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
"We see and support President Trump's efforts to end Russia's war and all its murders, to ensure honorable and lasting peace," Zelenskyy stated.
"If this is a sign that they are seriously ready to end the war fairly and truly ensure lasting peace, and not just an attempt to gain more time for war and postpone sanctions, Ukraine once again confirms its readiness to meet at any time at the leadership level," he added.
Zelenskyy proposed: "Ukraine proposes moving from technical-level statements and meetings to leader-level meetings. The U.S. proposed this. Ukraine supported it. Russia needs to be ready."
1 min read
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko responded to Trump's threats of increased tariffs against Russia, saying: "50, 60, 10 days... Politics is not done this way. If he wants peace, he should intervene carefully and thoroughly. This is a military conflict, coercion doesn't work."
"Especially against a state with nuclear power. This just becomes ridiculous," Lukashenko added.
Lukashenko emphasized the need for careful preparation: "Why are you shouting for this? First prepare, then sit down and sign. But they don't want this."
He stressed: "We should sit at the table and talk. We should not throw stones at each other."
3 min read
