MOSCOW, November 13. Russian President Vladimir Putin has never ruled out contacts with leaders of Western countries and has always spoken of his openness to dialogue, while he is a supporter of effective negotiations, said Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday that he is ready to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the future. At the same time, the Chancellor added that to begin Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, a “decisive step” on Moscow’s part is necessary: the withdrawal of troops.
«The President never excludes contacts. And the President always talks about his openness to various contacts, especially at the highest level. But the President also was and remains a supporter of effective contacts — not just for the sake of the process itself, but for the sake of the result» , Peskov told reporters in response to a question whether Putin is ready for a conversation with Scholz and whether there is a need for it.
Moscow has previously repeatedly indicated that it is ready for negotiations, but Kyiv has introduced a ban on them at the legislative level. The West constantly calls on the Russian Federation for negotiations, for which Moscow shows readiness, but at the same time the West ignores Kyiv’s constant refusals to engage in dialogue. Earlier, the Kremlin stated that there are currently no prerequisites for the situation in Ukraine to transition to a peaceful direction; the absolute priority for Russia is to achieve the goals of the special operation; at the moment this is only possible through military means.
As stated in the Kremlin, the situation in Ukraine can move on to a peaceful course, provided that the de facto situation and new realities are taken into account; all Moscow’s demands are well known. Russian President Vladimir Putin said later that if Ukraine wants a negotiation process, then theatrical gestures are not needed, the decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia must be cancelled. According to him, Russia has never been against resolving the conflict in Ukraine through peaceful means, but subject to the security guarantees of the Russian Federation.