Joe Biden’s statement that opened the debate and provoked the immediate response of the Russian president – Repeated contacts of leaders with the Russian president, in an effort to put an end to the war in Ukraine
The debate was opened by Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin immediately raised the gauntlet… The positive? That the discussion about the possible ending of the war in Ukraine has opened. The negative; That it is still at a very early stage. What phase is it in? In defining the context of a possible dialogue. The American president set his terms for a discussion. The response was immediate from Vladimir Putin, who in turn set his own framework: The recognition of Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia.
The Kremlin has said it is open to negotiations, but not on the West’s demand to withdraw from Ukraine. Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions in late September, without controlling any of them. Nine months after her invasion, she has lost more than half the land she captured.
Joe Biden’s statement
Joe Biden told reporters on Thursday night that he was prepared to meet with the Russian leader “if in fact there is an interest in him deciding that he is looking for a way to end the war.”
Next to him in the White House, French President Emmanuel Macron made it clear that the two leaders had agreed that they would never urge the Ukrainians to make a compromise “that would not be acceptable to them”.
Putin’s conversation with Olaf Solz
On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke with Vladimir Putin for the first time since September. During the hour-long conversation, Berlin said the German leader had urged his counterpart to find a diplomatic solution that would include the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine “as soon as possible”.
The Kremlin said Mr Putin urged Berlin “to reconsider its approaches in the context of Ukrainian events”. President Putin had drawn attention to the “destructive line of Western states, including Germany” and Kyiv rejected the idea of talks altogether, the Kremlin added.
Peskov’s statement
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier that Mr Putin remained open to talks aimed at “securing our interests”. But Moscow was certainly not ready to accept the US terms: “What did President Biden actually say? He said negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine.”
Ahead of the Solz-Putin conversation on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complained that European countries have offered nothing concrete so far in terms of mediation. “Macron, by the way, has been regularly stating for the past two weeks that he was planning a conversation with the Russian president,” he was quoted as saying, adding that Russia had no signal through the diplomatic channel.
Everything shows that the discussion about a possible ending of the war has opened. If we will get results soon? Clearly not. Russia and the West will play all their cards before one side or the other backs down. They will test their endurance as a whole, in a bra de fer marathon, without a comparable result or favourite.
In any case, the context was set. Mentioning the word “diplomacy” is the first step. The disclosure of the terms is a second step. To reach the result, it will take countless steps and perhaps mutual retreats. If we want to see the future with an optimistic eye, we will see a faint light at the end of the huge dark tunnel opened by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And let’s stop there for now…
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
