Putin: The ball of negotiations is completely in Ukraine’s court.
According to Tass, Russian President Vladimir Putin pointed out that Western countries always act in the way of achieving their interests in international wars, and said that Moscow is ready to explore ways of peaceful settlement of the Ukraine crisis.
Putin, who was speaking during a meeting with the leaders of African countries, said: Have they forgotten that they destroyed the situation in Sudan? Have they forgotten what they did in Syria? They only remember international law when they believe that this tool can be used against another; In this case, the tool is used against Russia.
He emphasized: They will not gain anything; This is a basic principle. If they want to follow the UN Charter and other international laws, they must first follow the same norms themselves. However, this does not mean that we do not want or seek peaceful solutions to wars.
Addressing the leaders of African countries, Putin said: Your approach, your thinking, all reflect the Chinese peace plan for the war in Ukraine, which was proposed in February.
Recalling that the Ukrainian authorities have “drafted and approved a law prohibiting negotiations with Russia”, he clarified: “We, for our part, have never rejected negotiations and have always said that we are ready for further dialogue.” Russia has always publicly announced its readiness for negotiations.
The President of the Russian Federation also reminded us that “the draft of the peace treaty was negotiated in the best way”, and noted: they asked us to withdraw our forces in order to create the conditions for signing the final agreement, but after the withdrawal of our forces from the outskirts of Kyiv, The authorities of Ukraine denied all the previous agreements and promises.
Putin stressed: Therefore, I believe that the ball is completely in their court. I won’t tell you the details of what we negotiated right now because it’s not the right thing to do. But everyone knows, and we know very well, that Kyiv gained its independence during the collapse of the Soviet Union, based on the Declaration of Independence, and this declaration clearly stipulates that Ukraine is a neutral country.
In the end, he added: This issue is of primary importance to us; We do not understand why the West began to include Ukraine in NATO?! This action is considered a fundamental threat to Russia’s interests.
