Russian President Vladimir Putin made another statement in which he denied any intentions of Russia to give up peace talks with Ukraine. According to Russian media, Putin said that Russia "never refused peace talks." However, according to him, in order to achieve peace, it is necessary to "deal with bandits", which, in his opinion, penetrated into the territory of Russia.
"Russia has never abandoned peace talks, but we need to deal with bandits that have penetrated the territory of the country," Putin said. His words were aimed at explaining the current situation in the Kursk region, where, according to him, "Ukrainian bandits" allegedly try to destabilize the situation in the border region.
Putin also accused the Ukrainian authorities of allegedly not interested in terminating hostilities. According to him, Ukraine "does not want to hold a presidential election", which, according to the Russian dictator, is the reason for the lack of progress in peace negotiations.
Putin's statements, which sound as an attempt to transfer responsibility for delaying the peace process to Ukraine, are part of rhetoric, which is often used to justify Russia's aggression and support internal control due to enhancing the image of external threat.
The Ukrainian authorities, in turn, continue to emphasize their readiness for negotiations, but only if international norms and restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In particular, Kyiv officials have repeatedly emphasized that constructive negotiations are possible only after the termination of aggression and the withdrawal of Russian troops from the occupied territories.
