"Based on Russia's interests": Putin tells Xi what kind of "peace" he wants for Ukraine
The Kremlin reports that Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during a conversation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasised that "the goal of resolving the situation in Ukraine should not be a short-term ceasefire but a long-term peace based on Russia's interests".
Source: Putin's aide Yuri Ushakov, cited by Russian media outlet Interfax; RIA Novosti, Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency
Quote from Ushakov: "Regarding the resolution of the situation in Ukraine, as the president [Putin – ed.] emphasised recently, and reiterated today: the goal should not be some kind of short ceasefire, not some kind of respite, but a long-term peace based on respect for our objective interests."
Details: Putin and Xi held a video conference on 21 January.
RIA Novosti noted that the conversation was not connected to Donald Trump's inauguration, as the arrangement to hold it had been made in December.
The conversation lasted one hour and 35 minutes and reportedly "was held in a friendly atmosphere".
Background:
- At a meeting of the Russian Security Council on 20 January, Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reaffirmed Russia's readiness for peace talks with the new administration of US President Donald Trump.
- At the same time, Putin stressed that any peaceful settlement should be based on "eliminating the root causes" of the conflict, which, according to him, includes meeting Russia's strict demands.
- These demands include Ukraine's permanent "neutral" status, its non-membership in NATO, strict limits on the size of the Ukrainian army, and the removal of the Ukrainian government from power. According to the Institute for the Study of War, this is effectively a demand for Ukraine's complete surrender.
Support UP or become our patron!
