Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia does not seek to “freeze” the conflict in Ukraine but instead wants to achieve a sustainable and long-term peace.
Putin said Russia is willing to participate in negotiations with anyone prepared to contribute to a definitive solution and reiterated that dialogue remains open.
The proposal to freeze the fighting along the line of contact was publicly raised in June by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a meeting in Omsk. Putin said, however, that the issue was never discussed bilaterally between the two leaders and that they have not returned to the matter since.
Putin made clear that Russia’s position is not to seek a temporary pause in the conflict, but rather to end the fighting and establish lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe.
“We don’t want to freeze it. We want to stop the war and achieve a long and absolute peace in Ukraine and Europe, and we are prepared for a dialogue process with those who want to move this forward,” Putin said.
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Regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek, Putin said he is aware of the positions held by the participating leaders and stressed that no one is imposing anything on Russia.
According to Putin, his counterparts support ending the conflict as quickly as possible, preferably through peaceful means. He said Russia respects that position and considers it sincere, while emphasizing that Moscow is not facing undue pressure.
“We know that position, we respect it very much, it is sincere, and people are thinking about how to resolve the situation, but no one is exerting undue pressure on us,” Putin said.
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He acknowledged, however, that the issue remains on the agenda and continues to be discussed.
