In March 2023 during the visit of the Chinese president to Moscow, Vladimir Putin told Xi Jinping that Russia “will fight for (at least) five years” in Ukraine, writes it Japanese network Nikkei citing its own sources.

With these statements, according to the sources of the Japanese network, Putin tried to assure China that the prolonged war is beneficial for Russia and ultimately Moscow will come out of it victorious. At the same time, this remark, as Nikkei sources estimate, was a warning to Xi not to change his pro-Russian stance.

However, China’s leadership, the Nikkei network estimates, is doubtful whether it considers Putin’s statement about his intention to continue the war for five years to be credible.

Based on these statements, the Nikkei concludes that “they should not be taken at face value” and the messages sent by Putin through diplomatic channels that is ready for ceasefire talks.

On December 23rd The New York Times, citing two former high-ranking Russian officials, wrote that Putin began sending messages through diplomatic channels in September 2023 that he was ready to begin ceasefire talks with Ukraine. and to freeze the conflict on the current front line, on the condition that Russia retains the territories it has seized.

According to Nikkei sources, it might Putin just wants to create the illusion that he is moving towards a ceasefire or even towards peace in view of the upcoming presidential elections to be held in March in Russia, believing that such an atmosphere will favor him in the upcoming elections.