Putin claims Russia ready for Ukraine peace talks, questions legitimacy under Zelensky's decree
Editor's note: The story was expanded with a comment from Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky’s Office, and a statement from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters on Jan. 24 that Russia is ready for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on ending the war in Ukraine.
"Regarding negotiations, we have always said — and I want to emphasize this again — that we are ready for talks on the Ukrainian issue (Russia's full-scale invasion)," Putin said.
Putin claimed that if Trump's 2020 "victory hadn't been stolen," there might not have been a "crisis in Ukraine." He emphasized that Russia has "never refused contact" with the U.S. administration and maintained a "pragmatic and trusting" relationship with Trump.
He moved quickly to point out a decree signed by President Zelensky after Russia illegally annexed four Ukrainian regions, which declared negotiations with Putin "impossible" while leaving the door open to discussions with Russia under different leadership.
"How can negotiations be resumed if they are officially banned?" Putin asked.
Zelensky's 2022 decree followed Russia's annexation of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts, actions condemned as illegitimate by the international community.
The move reflected Ukraine's refusal to engage with Moscow while Putin remains in power, underscoring Kyiv's position that peace negotiations must uphold Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Ukraine's Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak dismissed Putin's remarks, accusing him of seeking to sideline Europe in any talks.
"Putin wants to negotiate the fate of Europe — without Europe," Yermak said. He added, "Putin has long needed to return to reality himself, or he will be brought back."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov echoed Putin's comments, saying that dialog with Trump could recover if the U.S. "takes into account Russia's interests."
"If the U.S. under Trump takes Russia's interests into account, the dialog between Moscow and Washington will be gradually restored; if not, everything will remain as it is," he said.
Lavrov expressed dissatisfaction with Trump's team's reported peace proposals on Dec. 29, particularly the idea of freezing hostilities along the current line of contact and transferring the responsibility for countering Russia to Europe.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
