(Dan Tri) - Russian President Vladimir Putin believes that resolving the conflict in Ukraine should lead to a lasting peace instead of a short-term ceasefire.
"Regarding the settlement of the conflict situation, I would like to emphasize that the goal must be to achieve a lasting peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all parties, all people living in that area, instead of a short-term ceasefire, or a pause to regroup and rearm with the aim of continuing the conflict later," President Putin said at a meeting with the Russian Security Council on January 20.
The Russian leader stressed that "a lasting peace is based on respect for the interests of all individuals, all people living in the region".
Mr Putin affirmed that Russia will fight for its interests and the interests of the Russian people. This is the "goal and essence of the special military operation" in Ukraine.
President Putin said Russia is ready to talk with the US administration about the conflict in Ukraine.
"The most important thing is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis, which we have discussed many times. That is the most important thing," the Russian President stressed.
Speaking at the meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that resolving many crises depends on the US's steps, including resolving the situation around Ukraine.
"A lot of decisions depend on the United States. First of all, due to the fact that European and Asian allies - Australia, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand - are firmly oriented towards the White House's position. This means that they are waiting to see what this position will ultimately be," Lavrov said.
President Putin said that Russia is always ready to negotiate with the legitimate authorities of Kiev without any preconditions, except for those agreed in Istanbul (Türkiye) in 2022.
Those preliminary agreements included Ukraine committing to neutrality, non-alignment, and certain restrictions on the deployment of foreign weapons.
President Putin also noted that such talks would have to respect the realities that have developed since then. Moscow demanded that Ukraine recognize the territories that have been annexed to Russia, including Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhia.
With Russia gaining the upper hand on the battlefield, observers say it is difficult for Moscow to make concessions on the terms of peace talks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kiev is in no rush to negotiate and compromise with Russia.
Mr. Zelensky also proposed a 10-point "peace formula," which includes a provision requiring Russia to withdraw all troops and restore Ukraine's 1991 borders. Kiev considers this the basis for any peace talks with Moscow.
Mr. Zelensky revealed that Ukraine's current priority is to build relations with the incoming administration of US President Donald Trump, who claims to be able to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict within 24 hours.
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