Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed readiness on Thursday to negotiate a compromise over Ukraine in potential discussions with President-elect Donald Trump to resolve the ongoing conflict. Putin stated he had no preconditions for initiating talks with Ukrainian authorities.
Trump, known for portraying himself as a skilled dealmaker and author of the 1987 book "Trump: The Art of the Deal," has pledged to quickly bring an end to the war, though he has yet to outline a concrete strategy for achieving this goal.
During his annual question-and-answer session with Russian citizens on state TV, President Vladimir Putin responded to a U.S. news reporter's inquiry, stating that he was open to meeting with President-elect Donald Trump, whom he had not spoken to in years.
When asked what Russia might offer Trump, Putin rejected the notion that Russia was in a weakened position. He emphasized that Russia had grown significantly stronger since he ordered troops into Ukraine in 2022.
"We have always said that we are ready for negotiations and compromises," Putin said.
"Soon, those Ukrainians who want to fight will run out, in my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight. We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises."
Putin said Thursday that Russia had no preconditions for starting talks with Ukraine and was willing to negotiate with anyone, including President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, he insisted that any deal could only be signed with what the Kremlin considered Ukraine's legitimate authorities, which, for now, was the Ukrainian parliament.
Putin clarified that Zelensky, whose term was extended under martial law, would need to be re-elected for Moscow to regard him as a legitimate signatory to any agreement, ensuring its legal validity.
He dismissed the idea of agreeing to a temporary truce with Kyiv, emphasizing that only a lasting peace deal would be acceptable. Putin also mentioned that talks should begin with a preliminary agreement made in Istanbul in the early stages of the war, although this agreement was never implemented. Many Ukrainian politicians view the draft deal as a form of capitulation that would have undermined Ukraine's military and political ambitions.
