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Putin Signals Willingness for Ukraine Peace Talks as Trump Takes Office

By Vusala Abbasova January 21, 2025

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Despite his call for dialogue, Putin reiterated Russia's position on the conflict. He emphasized that peace talks should not result in a temporary truce but a lasting solution. / kremlin.ru

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his willingness to engage with the Trump administration, particularly over the ongoing war in Ukraine.

His comments came just hours before Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th President of the United States in Washington, signaling a potential shift in US-Russia relations.

In a televised meeting with Russia’s Security Council on Monday, Putin highlighted the importance of addressing the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis.

“We are open to dialogue with the new U.S. administration on the Ukrainian conflict,” he said, according to the Kremlin’s official website. “The most important thing here is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis.”

Despite his call for dialogue, Putin reiterated Russia's position on the conflict. He emphasized that peace talks should not result in a temporary truce but a lasting solution.

“Its goal should not be a short truce, not some kind of respite for regrouping forces and rearmament with the aim of subsequently continuing the conflict,” Putin stated.

Russia had previously rejected peace proposals that included freezing the front lines. Moscow insists that Kyiv must agree to withdraw from the four regions – Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson – that Russia partially controls. Putin referred to this as a “concrete, real peace proposal.”

Meanwhile, Putin congratulated Trump on his inauguration, expressing optimism about restoring direct contacts between the two nations. 

“We see the statement of the newly elected US president and members of his team about the desire to restore direct contacts with Russia, interrupted through no fault of ours, by the outgoing administration. We welcome this attitude and congratulate the US president-elect,” Putin said.

According to reports from CNN, Trump has instructed his aides to arrange a phone conversation with Putin within days of taking office. The conversation could pave the way for a potential meeting to address the Ukraine conflict.

Earlier, The New York Times reported speculations about possible deployment of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. According to the report, deploying British, German, and French troops might be part of a broader ceasefire agreement. However, Russia had previously dismissed such proposals. Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev warned last year that NATO peacekeepers could become legitimate targets if deployed in Ukraine.

While Putin’s remarks suggest a readiness for dialogue, Russia remains unwavering in its territorial claims, particularly in Crimea and the Donbas region. Russia controls Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and has since taken approximately 80 percent of the Donbas region – comprising Donetsk and Luhansk – as well as more than 70 percent of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, along with smaller parts of the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions.