Putin: Russia wants peace in 2026, but "all disputed issues" must be settled through talks
Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russia wants the war against Ukraine to end in 2026 and therefore seeks to resolve "all disputed issues" through negotiations.
Censor.NET reports that he said this at his year-end press conference, as quoted by the propaganda outlet TASS.
The Kremlin leader’s remarks on Ukraine
He also said that achieving peace would require eliminating the "root causes of the conflict."
"We need to ensure the root causes of the conflict are eliminated, so that nothing like this happens again in the future, and so that peace is long-term, strong and sustainable. That is what we will strive for," Putin insisted.
Remarks on a war with NATO
"There will be no [new special military operations] if you treat us with respect and respect our interests, just as we have consistently tried to respect yours," he said in response to a BBC journalist’s question.
Russia will not start new wars if it is not "deceived, as it was deceived with NATO’s eastward expansion," Putin claimed.
- He said Russia itself wanted to join NATO but realized it was "not welcome there."
"Of course, the movement of military infrastructure to our borders caused our legitimate concern," the Russian ruler added.
