Putin ready for peace talks, but without territorial concessions – Reuters

Putin ready for peace talks, but without territorial concessions, – Reuters Vladislav Kravtsov

Vladimir Putin is open to discussing a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine with Donald Trump. At the same time, the head of the Kremlin rules out any serious territorial concessions.

In addition, Putin insists that Kyiv abandon its intentions to join NATO. This was reported by 24 Channel with reference to a Reuters article.

What is known about Putin's readiness for negotiations

Journalists noted that President Vladimir Putin may agree to a ceasefire along the current front line in Ukraine. Five current and former Russian officials told the publication that the Kremlin could generally agree to “freeze” the conflict along the front line.

Three of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issues discussed, said Russia was open to the possibility of dialogue on “the precise territorial division of Ukraine's four eastern regions” – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson.

Russia may also consider withdrawing troops from some smaller areas in the Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions of northern and southern Ukraine, the officials said.

In a recent statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said any potential ceasefire agreement must “accurately reflect the realities on the ground in Ukraine.” He expressed concern that “a temporary ceasefire could provide the West with an opportunity to rearm Ukraine.”

Two sources also told reporters that outgoing US President Joe Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to fire US ATACMS missiles deep into Russia could complicate and delay any settlement and ratchet up Moscow's demands as Kremlin hardliners seek more of Ukraine.

If a ceasefire is not reached, two sources said, Russia will keep fighting.

Trump's communications director Stephen Chang told Reuters that the US president-elect is “the only person who can bring both sides together for peace talks and work to end the war and stop the killing.”

What is the Kremlin's position on NATO and guarantees security

Journalists noted that Russia also opposes Ukraine joining NATO or the presence of Alliance troops on Ukrainian soil. At the same time, five sources told the publication that the aggressor country is “open to discussing security guarantees for Kyiv.”

Other concessions the Kremlin is seeking include limits on the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and commitments not to restrict the use of the Russian language, the sources said.

Dimitri Simes, who emigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1973 and is one of the top Russian experts on American affairs, said a ceasefire could be reached relatively quickly to end a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of soldiers and displaced millions of civilians.

However, the expert added that a broader long-term agreement that would take into account the security concerns of both Ukraine and Russia would be extremely difficult to achieve.