Putin refuses to compromise on occupied Ukrainian territories - Bloomberg
Photo: Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has no intention of compromising on demands regarding land, peacekeepers, and Ukraine's neutrality during any peace talks. This complicates US President Donald Trump's efforts to end the war, Bloomberg reports.
As the media resource notes, citing security officials, Putin is putting forward deliberately "maximalist" demands ahead of negotiations to end the war. The Russian leader understands that these conditions will be unacceptable to Ukrainians and other Europeans. This indicates that Putin is willing to continue fighting if he does not get his way.
This assessment of Putin’s intentions raises doubts about whether he is seriously focused on negotiating a realistic and lasting peace settlement with Ukraine. It also contradicts the opinion of US President Donald Trump, who believes that Putin wants peace.
"I’m finding it more difficult, frankly, to deal with Ukraine," Trump said earlier.
Negotiations in Saudi Arabia
Today, negotiations are taking place in Saudi Arabia between the Ukrainian and American delegations. Trump had previously stated that he expects positive results from the negotiations in Saudi Arabia. However, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Ukraine will have to cede territories seized by Russia since 2014 as part of a peace agreement.
Before the start of the meeting, the Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak stated that Ukraine seeks peace and is ready to negotiate to end the war. He also emphasized that Ukraine approaches today's talks with US officials from a "very open" place.
For more details on how the meeting between Ukraine and the US is progressing in Jeddah, read our article on the topic.
