Russia wants to end the war in Ukraine "as soon as possible," preferably through peaceful means, and is ready to continue negotiations — provided that Kyiv and its Western allies are willing to engage, Vladimir Putin said.

Russia wants to end the war in Ukraine “as soon as possible,” preferably through peaceful means, and is ready to continue negotiations — provided that Kyiv and its Western allies are willing to engage, Vladimir Putin said.

Speaking during a roundtable with top editors of major international news agencies late on June 18, Putin added that he is ready to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky and “Russia does not care who represents Ukraine in negotiations, but insists that any final agreement must bear the signature of legitimate authorities.”

The Kremlin has long sought to portray Zelensky as “illegitimate” in an attempt to discredit Kyiv. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Feb. 18 that Putin, who has ruled Russia for over 20 years, is ready for talks with Zelensky, but “legal aspects related to his legitimacy” must be considered.

Ukraine’s allies had generally ignored this propaganda narrative until Donald Trump appeared to echo the Kremlin’s lines claiming that Zelensky was a “modestly successful comedian” turned “dictator” who “refused to have elections.”

  • Buffalox@lemmy.worldEnglish
    281·
    20 hours ago

    “Russia does not care who represents Ukraine in negotiations, but insists that any final agreement must bear the signature of legitimate authorities.”

    No doubt Zelensky is the legitimate leader of Ukraine, but who does he imagine should sign for Russia?

    But honestly Putin can piss off with his constant ridiculous preconditions. Although of course that’s up to Ukraine to decide.
    But I don’t blame them if they just send him this response: 🖕

    • Vopyr@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      17 hours ago

      The best response to anything they say or offer is the middle finger. If they want peace, they should get the fuck out of our lands and not come to us from their swamp in the future, but we are well aware that they do not want peace, they want to take as much Ukrainian land as possible, or even the whole of Ukraine.

      By the way, he doesn’t care? Damn nonsense, after we kicked Yanukovych out of our country (or rather, he fled like the beaten, whiney bitch that he is, Putin’s bitch), Putin and the rest of Russia started saying in unison that Poroshenko (and later Zelensky) were “not legitimate” presidents, although they are of course quite legitimate, because it is up to the Ukrainian people to choose, not Russia.