During his recent visit to Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed a willingness to end the war with Ukraine through negotiations but warned that Moscow would resort to military force if talks
fail, reported Reuters . Speaking to reporters in the Chinese capital on Wednesday, Putin said there was still a chance to resolve the conflict at the negotiating table, depending on Kyiv’s approach.
“It seems to me that if common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable solution to end this conflict. That is my assumption,” he said. “Especially since we can see the mood of the current US administration under President Trump, and we see not just their statements, but their sincere desire to find this solution.”
Putin also emphasised the potential role of the United States in pushing both sides toward a resolution. He described recent diplomatic overtures as “a certain light at the end of the tunnel” in efforts to find a settlement to what has become Europe’s largest land war since World War II.
“And I think there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s see how the situation develops. If not, then we will have to resolve all the tasks before us by force of arms,” Putin stated.
Putin also extended an invitation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Moscow for direct peace negotiations. However, no such meeting has taken place yet.
Despite signalling openness to dialogue, Putin made it clear that certain conditions are non-negotiable. He stated that Russia would not give up the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, which Russian forces have seized. He also reiterated demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and cease what he called discrimination against ethnic Russians.
The statement comes just ahead of a planned meeting being hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. Macron is set to convene the Coalition of the Willing, a group of Ukraine’s international allies. A source from the Élysée Palace said the group aims to gain US support for extending security guarantees to Ukraine and securing a ceasefire from Russia.
President Trump had previously pressed Putin for a ceasefire during their summit in Alaska last month.
