Putin says Russia is ‘ready for peace talks’ with Ukraine; Zelenskyy advisor isn’t buying it

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated in an interview that aired on Christmas that Russia is “prepared to negotiate some acceptable outcomes” in Ukraine.

Speaking to Rossiya 1 state television, the Russian leader said, “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.”


(Video: YouTube)

Putin accused the West of “pulling apart Russia,” beginning with the 2014 toppling of a pro-Russian Ukrainian president in the Maidan Revolution.

“Actually, the fundamental thing here is the policy of our geopolitical opponents which is aimed at pulling apart Russia, historical Russia,” he said.

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

Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, took to Twitter and dismissed Putin’s claims, saying the Russian leader “needs to come back to reality.”

“Russia single-handedly attacked Ukraine and is killing citizens,” Podolyak said. “There are no other ‘countries, motives, geopolitics.'”

“Russia doesn’t want negotiations, but tries to avoid responsibility,” he added. “This is obvious, so we are moving to the Tribunal.”

Meanwhile, in response to a Saturday strike on the southern city of Kherson that Ukrainian officials say left at least 10 people dead, Zelenskyy stated, “We will find every Russian murderer,” according to Reuters.

Putin said Russia is a “unique country” and its citizens will “give everything” to defend it in what he has characterized as a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

“As for the main part – the 99.9% 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.”

Talks of peace aside, Zelenskyy — fresh off a trip to D.C. during which he stood before Congress in a sweatshirt and informed struggling Americans that the billions of dollars of their money that he was taking home with him wasn’t “charity,” it was an “investment” — posted on Twitter on Christmas Eve that Russia is “killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure.”

“The world must see what absolute evil we are fighting against,” Zelenskyy tweeted, posting pictures of the strike on Kherson.

https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1606594375282204673?s=20&t=nWwqa4uUC3sl-DQ-GvxjSA

As part of the disastrous $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package passed quickly by a Congress that appeared more concerned with getting home for Christmas than they were with reading the bill, Ukraine received a $1.8 billion Christmas stocking that included for the first time a Patriot missile battery and precision-guided bombs for their fighter jets.

In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that more Western weapons in the war-torn country “leads to an aggravation of the conflict and, in fact, does not bode well for Ukraine.”

When asked if Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington would potentially lead to peace talks with Moscow, the spokesperson said, “I don’t think so.”

Melissa Fine

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