The situation makes it difficult for peace talks to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

On December 19th (Moscow time), President Putin gave his annual press interview. During the interview, which lasted over four hours, the Ukraine conflict became a frequently discussed topic.

The scene at a building in Kyiv that was hit by a Russian missile in November.

From the conditions for Ukraine

Specifically, Putin continued to emphasize Russia's "success" in the Ukraine conflict. He explained that before launching the military operation against Ukraine in February 2022, Russia was at risk of losing its independence, but this issue has now been resolved.

However, Putin said he was ready to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump to discuss a number of issues, including peace negotiations with Ukraine. The Kremlin leader, however, emphasized that he would not accept any preconditions from Kyiv for sitting down at the negotiating table. For a long time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has made the return of occupied Ukrainian territories a prerequisite for negotiations.

It wasn't until November 29th, in an interview with Sky News, that President Zelensky stated that if Ukraine could join NATO, allowing the alliance to protect the territories it still holds, then Kyiv might agree to a ceasefire. This was seen as Kyiv agreeing to abandon its preconditions before negotiations, opening the door to peace talks between the two sides.

However, in the aforementioned interview, Putin set a new condition for any negotiated agreement. Specifically, he emphasized that Russia would only sign an agreement with a "legitimate government " of Ukraine. This condition implies that Moscow does not recognize President Zelensky's government. In fact, President Zelensky's term should have ended, but he delayed holding elections due to the ongoing conflict. Therefore, the condition set by the Kremlin leader can be interpreted as Ukraine holding elections and Russia accepting the election results as "valid."

Thus, the process of reaching a ceasefire agreement could remain challenging even if Moscow and Kyiv sit down at the negotiating table.

To challenge the West

Also in the interview, President Putin mentioned the Oreshnik hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) and stated that the West is not capable of intercepting it. The Oreshnik missile has a range of 3,000-5,500 km, a speed of Mach 10 (10 times the speed of sound), and can carry a nuclear warhead.

"The West could set a target, say in Kyiv, and concentrate their entire air defense system there. We would then launch Oreshnik missiles at it to see what the result is," Putin suggested.

In late November 2024, after being authorized by the US to use long-range weapons supplied by Washington to attack Russian territory, Kyiv launched several ATACMS missiles at Russia. However, Moscow retaliated by launching Oreshnik missiles to attack Ukraine. This marked the first time Russia had used hypersonic IRBMs to attack Ukraine since the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict.

Responding to Thanh Nien newspaper , a US military intelligence expert assessed Russia's actions, stating: "This is an escalating response from Moscow to Kyiv's long-range attack deep into Russia. It's like a warship firing at the bow of an enemy vessel as a warning. It's a warning that the enemy should not repeat any similar actions, otherwise the next shot could cause even greater damage." Because the Oreshnik missile can carry a nuclear warhead, Russia's launch of this type of missile also implies a potential nuclear attack.

Furthermore, Moscow's move is also aimed at deterring NATO members in the region.

Portugal condemns Russian attacks in Kyiv.

Yesterday (December 20), Reuters reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden is about to announce the final arms aid package under his presidency for Ukraine. This package, funded from the remaining budget of an approved aid plan to purchase new weapons for Ukraine, is valued at approximately $1.2 billion and includes air defense interceptor aircraft and artillery, but a detailed list will await official announcement.

Also yesterday, The Guardian quoted Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel as saying: "There was a very violent Russian attack on Kyiv, and the attack caused material damage to the diplomatic facilities of several countries, including the Portuguese Embassy in Kyiv." Rangel then criticized Moscow, stating: "It is completely unacceptable to attack and damage or target diplomatic facilities."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/the-kho-cho-hoa-dam-giai-quyet-xung-dot-ukraine-185241220230436723.htm