Putin open to peace in Ukraine, but only once goals achieved: Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin remains open to pursuing a peace agreement concerning Ukraine, though the Kremlin maintains that its primary objective is the fulfilment of its strategic goals, according to a statement by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, whose remarks were aired in a segment broadcast by state television on Sunday.

Peskov noted that while the international community has grown accustomed to US President Donald Trump's often "harsh" rhetoric, the American leader has nonetheless reaffirmed his commitment to seeking a resolution to the conflict.

“President Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy,” Peskov told state television journalist Pavel Zarubin, as quoted in a Reuters report.

He added, “The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear.”

Earlier this week, Trump adopted a more assertive posture towards Moscow, announcing a new tranche of military assistance for Ukraine. The package includes advanced Patriot missile defence systems. Furthermore, he issued an ultimatum to Russia: agree to a ceasefire within 50 days or face further sanctions.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Saturday that Kyiv has formally proposed to Moscow the scheduling of another round of peace negotiations for the upcoming week. He expressed his intention to accelerate discussions aimed at securing a ceasefire.

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Ukraine and Russia have previously held two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul over the past five months. While these talks have resulted in prisoner exchanges, they have yielded no substantial progress towards ending the conflict, which began following Russia’s 2022 invasion and has persisted for more than three years.

“Everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy said in his nightly address to the nation. “The Russian side should stop hiding from decisions,” he added.

The Ukrainian leader confirmed that Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation in both Istanbul meetings, has extended an invitation to the Russian side for further talks next week. No additional details were disclosed.

Umerov, formerly Ukraine’s defence minister, was appointed last week as head of the National Security and Defence Council, with a mandate to inject renewed urgency into the negotiation process.

Despite repeatedly asserting its willingness to re-engage in talks, Russia continues its offensive operations along the eastern front in the Donetsk region. Kyiv and its Western partners view Moscow’s stance as reflective of uncompromising, maximalist war objectives.

Earlier this month, Trump, having intensified his criticism of Russia in response to escalating air strikes on Ukrainian cities, reiterated the threat of more severe sanctions should no peace accord be reached within the stipulated 50-day window.

With agency inputs