Behind the news that Moscow is ready to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine

In Belarus on May 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly said that peace talks with Ukraine were needed, but added that the realities on the ground needed to be recognized, apparently referring to what is happening on the front line in eastern Ukraine.

The comment was neither confirmed nor denied, according to the news site of the Global News Network (Canada).

Earlier, on May 24, Reuters quoted a senior Russian source who worked with Mr. Putin and was familiar with high-level dialogues in the Kremlin, saying that Mr. Putin's army could fight as long as it wanted, but Moscow was also ready for a ceasefire - to freeze the conflict.

Three other sources told Reuters that the Russian leader expressed frustration at what he saw as Western-backed efforts to thwart ceasefire talks.

For the comments, Reuters said it spoke to a total of five people who work with or have worked with Mr Putin at senior levels in politics and business. The fifth source would not comment on the current front-line freeze. All the sources requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, during a meeting in Minsk, May 24, 2024. Photo: The Telegraph

Russian troops now control about 18 percent of Ukraine. Reuters sources said a freeze along the current lines was non-negotiable. Such an arrangement would not meet Moscow’s goals when it annexed the four regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as it does not have full control over any of them.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Minsk on May 24, Russian President Putin said that peace talks with Ukraine need to resume, but they “must reflect reality on the ground” and “not on the basis of what one side wants”.

Global News, in its comments, questioned the motivations of a potential proposal allegedly put forward by Mr. Putin.

“The proposal could be a test of reaction, or a way to put pressure on Ukraine and the West amid growing fatigue with the war,” Global News commented.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter that the Russian leader was trying to derail a Ukraine-led peace summit in Switzerland next month by using his entourage to send “false signals” about his supposed readiness for a ceasefire.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters that Russia has repeatedly made clear that it is ready for dialogue to achieve its goals and said it does not want an “eternal war . ”

Minh Duc (According to Reuters, Global News)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/dang-sau-thong-tin-moscow-san-sang-dam-phan-ngung-ban-o-ukraine-a665278.html