Putin Says Moscow’s Door Is Open for Ukraine Peace Talks—But Blames Kiev and the EU for Stalemate
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| Putin: Moscow Ready for Ukraine Peace Talks, Blames Kiev |
Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear on Wednesday that Moscow hasn’t closed the door on peace negotiations over Ukraine. Speaking after a briefing on the recent Russia-U.S. talks in Riyadh, Putin pointed the finger at Kiev and the European Union, accusing them of cutting off contact with Russia.
“It was the EU and Kiev that broke all contact with us,” Putin said, his tone sharp but measured. “We’ve never walked away from the table—never.”
The Russian leader emphasized that Ukraine’s participation in peace talks is entirely up to Kiev and its European allies. “If they’re willing, they’re free to engage,” he told reporters in St. Petersburg, adding that Moscow is ready to return to negotiations at any time.
Putin didn’t hold back in criticizing Ukraine’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul negotiations earlier this year. “Kiev banned its officials from talking to us,” he said. “They walked away and made it public.”
The Riyadh meeting between Russian and U.S. officials, held on Tuesday, was a step toward rebuilding trust between the two nations, according to Putin. He called the talks “very friendly” and praised what he described as a shift in Washington’s attitude.
“The U.S. is now represented by different people—open, without prejudices, and committed to joint work,” Putin said. He stressed that resolving the Ukraine conflict would be impossible without normalizing relations between Moscow and Washington.
The meeting, he added, was a “first step” toward restoring cooperation on issues ranging from arms control to the Middle East crisis.
Putin also expressed interest in meeting U.S. President Donald Trump, though he cautioned that a simple “coffee hour” wouldn’t be enough to mend ties. “We need thorough preparation,” he said, adding that no mediators are necessary to sort out differences between the two nations.
Trump, for his part, called the Riyadh talks “very good” and said he felt “much more confident” about the prospects for peace. “I think I have the power to end this war,” he said, though he didn’t elaborate on how.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, however, wasn’t as optimistic. Ahead of the talks, he dismissed the meeting’s legitimacy, noting that Ukrainian representatives weren’t invited. Zelensky even postponed a planned visit to Saudi Arabia to avoid giving the talks any credibility.
Trump fired back, pointing out that Kiev has had three years to negotiate a deal on its own.