Russia doesn't want negotiations, but tries to avoid responsibilities: Ukraine after Putin’s 'ready to negotiate' claims

Kyiv: Ukraine has reacted to Russian President Vladmir Putin’s claims that Moscow is ready to negotiate over Kyiv, with an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying that “Putin needs to come back to reality”.

“Russia single-handedly attacked Ukraine and is killing citizens. There are no other ‘countries, motives, geopolitics. Russia doesn’t want negotiations, but tries to avoid responsibility,” Zelenskyy’s adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.

‘Russia ready to negotiate’

In an interview with state television, Putin on Sunday claimed that Russia was ready to negotiate with all parties involved in Ukraine war but that Kyiv and its Western backers had refused to engage in talks.

“We are ready to negotiate with everyone involved about acceptable solutions, but that is up to them – we are not the ones refusing to negotiate, they are,” Putin told Rossiya 1 state television.

Putin further said that Russia was acting in the “right direction” in Ukraine because the West, led by the US, was trying to cleave Russia apart.

“I believe that we are acting in the right direction, we are defending our national interests, the interests of our citizens, our people. And we have no other choice but to protect our citizens,” Putin said.

Putin also alleged that the West had begun the conflict in 2014 by toppling a pro-Russian Ukrainian president in the Maidan Revolution protests.

On Christmas Eve, Russia again bombarded Kherson which was taken over by Russian troops in the early days of the invasion but was liberated by Ukrainian forces in November. At least 10 people were dead and dozens others were injured in the attack.

Other cities in Ukraine as well as the country’s energy infrastructure have been hit with shelling over the recent months.

Russia began the invasion of Ukraine on 24 February which has triggered the deadliest European conflict since World War II and the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.

Meanwhile, the Russian President described his country as “unique” and said the vast majority of its people were united in wanting to defend it.

“As for the main part — the 99.9 per cent of our citizens, our people who are ready to give everything for the interests of the Motherland – there is nothing unusual for me here,” he said.

“This just once again convinces me that Russia is a unique country and that we have an exceptional people. This has been confirmed throughout the history of Russia’s existence,” Putin added.

With inputs from agencies

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