Russian President Vladimir Putin has publicly addressed the U.S.-backed peace plan for Ukraine, signaling Moscow’s willingness to engage in “serious” discussions. Putin indicated that the draft proposals could form the basis of a future agreement to end the nearly four-year conflict, while emphasizing that Russian forces will achieve objectives by force if Ukrainian troops do not withdraw from key positions. The announcement comes ahead of U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s upcoming visit to Moscow.
00:00The Trump peace plan is the news, and how much does the originally published draft document include our interests, and did we receive a modified version, and when will Russia-U.S. talks start, because as I understand there have been no such talks.
00:25When will Steve Witkoff come to Russia, and what do you believe are the prospects for peace settlements currently?
00:34Well, as to a draft agreement, there has been no draft. There was a set of issues, a list of issues to be discussed and to be deliberated and worked out.
00:50As I've already said, before my visit to Alaska, we discussed this with the United States and negotiating team.
01:03And after that, a list of possible items for an agreement was drafted, and it was conveyed to us through certain channels.
01:19Then, there were talks in Geneva between the United States and the Ukrainian delegation.
01:26As I understand, they decided between themselves that these 28 items should be divided into four groups.
01:40And we received the outcomes of those discussions.
01:47In general, we agree that this may become the basis for a future agreement.
01:53It would not be proper for me to make any final statements right now, because there is no finalized material so far.
02:03Many of the things are very general in character at this point.
02:10But we see that the United States are considering our interests, including those that were voiced before the discussions in Anchorage.
02:24Some of the items will have to be discussed in very specific terms.
02:28We'll have to frame things diplomatically.
02:31One thing to say that Russia is not going to attack Europe, which is really laughable for us as an idea.
02:42Of course, we could write that down as this is.
02:46Sometimes people are a bit out of their minds or maybe they're just trying to create some kind of an illusion for their populations.
03:04When they say that Russia is preparing to attack and they need to strengthen their defense industry.
03:11Maybe they're just catering to the defense companies.
03:14Maybe they're trying to prop up their domestic political ratings, seeing the lamentable state of their economies.
03:24But in our eyes, of course, it's just nonsense, complete lies.
03:30But if those ideas are so hyped up in the Western public consciousness, if we truly need to make a statement that we don't have an aggressive plans, then we'd be willing to do this.
03:46Maybe there is a meaning in that if we want to sit down all together and to have a discussion,
03:53and to dot the eyes about common European security, which we proposed to discuss some time ago.
04:03And if our American partners want this to happen, this is quite possible.
04:09But of course, this will require a serious discussion.
04:12Every word in such documents needs to be discussed.
04:16One of those documents also mentions strategic stability, which is an issue that must be discussed with our American partners too.
04:28Well, this is something that we have suggested since the Obama times.
04:33They said yes, yes, and then several months before Obama stepped down from the presidential office, this work stalled.
04:48Now the new START treaties running out.
04:56It will soon expire.
04:59And of course, there is a desire to go back to discussing these issues.
05:03Every such issue is a separate topic for discussion for a serious one.
05:10And we're ready to discuss.
05:13Next week, the American delegation is planning to come to Moscow.
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