Putin： Russia has never refused to negotiate peace with Ukraine. We must consider how to end the ＂tragedy＂ of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

[Global Times correspondent in Russia Sui Xin Liu Yupeng] When Israel and Hamas finally reached a temporary ceasefire agreement after difficult negotiations, international public opinion turned its attention to Ukraine: When can the Russian-Ukrainian conflict resume peace talks? Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the G20 leaders’ video summit in Moscow on the 22nd local time that he must consider how to end the "tragedy" of the Russian-Ukrainian war. He said that Russia has never refused to hold peace talks with Ukraine. Reuters said that this is Putin’s most soothing remarks about this conflict recently. At present, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is deadlocked on the front line. In response, Ukrainian President Zelensky admitted on Fox TV on the 22nd that this "is spreading pessimism to western supporters in Kiev". Politicians and media in the United States and Europe have recently frequently reported that the United States and Europe are privately persuading Ukraine to negotiate with Russia on ending the war. Many analysts believe that with the Russian-Ukrainian conflict lasting for 21 months, the United States and Europe supporting Ukraine are also in trouble, and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict may have reached a key node.

Putin issued a new call for peace talks?

"Peace Efforts-Putin Calls for Consideration on How to End the Tragedy of War", the Russian "Arguments and Facts" news website reported on the 23rd that Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech at the G20 Leaders’ Video Summit on the 22nd, saying that this war (referring to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine) was a tragedy. "Like any military conflict, this is a tragedy for a specific group of people, a specific family and the whole country," Putin said. "Naturally, we must consider how to end this tragedy." He also said, "Russia has never refused to hold peace talks with Ukraine." However, Putin also pointed out that "it is not Russia that publicly announced its withdrawal from the negotiation process, but Ukraine. Not only that, the Ukrainian president also signed a presidential decree prohibiting such negotiations with Russia. "

Reuters said that this was Putin’s first speech to G20 leaders since the outbreak of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in February 2022, and it was also his most soothing speech so far. According to the report, Putin used the word "war" to describe this conflict, instead of the special term "special military action" used by the Kremlin before.

Regarding Putin’s words, Italian Prime Minister Silvio meloni, who attended the G20 leaders’ video summit, said on the 22nd that she was satisfied with Putin’s speech at the G20 summit on the need to seek actions to end the Russian-Ukrainian war. She said, "I heard that Russia hopes to solve the problem peacefully. I am very happy, but I think this can be demonstrated in practice soon. "

Russia’s Tsargrad TV station said on the 23rd that Putin’s statement at the G20 leaders’ video summit that he was considering how to end the tragedy of war aroused strong repercussions in the international community. According to the report, the current international situation is undergoing a dramatic change. With Russia’s progress on the battlefield, Ukraine and Ukrainian President Zelensky are gradually being "marginalized".

"Ukraine is in big trouble"

According to the Ukrainian Independent News Agency reported on 23rd, regarding Putin’s speech, Podolyak, director of the Office of the President of Ukraine, still insisted that "Russia has nothing to consider. The only solution is to immediately withdraw Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and make war compensation and bear other consequences. "

However, Ukrainian President Zelensky has been somewhat pessimistic in the past two days. For Ukraine’s failure to achieve a major victory in the battlefield against Russia, Fox TV quoted Zelensky as saying on the 22 nd that this "is spreading pessimism to western supporters in Kiev." When asked how Ukraine views the "counter-offensive against Russia that is currently struggling", Zelensky admitted, "This is not good news … It is very difficult for us."

"Ukraine is in big trouble," ABC quoted an anonymous senior Ukrainian official as saying on the 22nd, saying that while the United States was busy helping Israel to crack down on Hamas, the flow of American artillery shells to Ukraine decreased by "more than 30%". The official also said that American artillery shells "account for about 60%-70% of the total supply of Ukrainian artillery shells." He also expressed serious concern about the deadlock in the U.S. Congress on the issue of aid to Ukraine, saying that this may mean that U.S. aid to Ukraine will begin to dry up. He warned that this will make Ukraine risk a major setback on the battlefield, "the price is very high." He complained that although the United States promised to continue to provide assistance to Ukraine, "the promise of Americans is becoming more and more difficult to fulfill." The French newspaper Le Monde quoted Audelan, a military expert, as saying, "2024 will be full of danger for Ukraine … because the military equipment and ammunition that the West has delivered to them will be completely exhausted."

"The only weapon that can save Ukraine"

The "Russia Today" TV station said on the 23rd that Ukraine launched a high-profile counterattack in June this year, but failed to make any significant progress despite being reinforced by a large number of NATO weapons. In this regard, Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, admitted in an exclusive interview with the British "Economist" magazine a few days ago that "this conflict has reached a deadlock, which may last for several years and eat up Ukraine." He said that the Ukrainian army has been unable to break through the defense lines of the Russian army. "We (the Ukrainian army) are actually in trouble." It is reported that Russian Defense Minister shoigu said on the 22nd that Kiev suffered "great losses" in November, and it is estimated that the death toll of Ukrainian soldiers exceeded 13,700, while Kiev has lost more than 90,000 soldiers since the counterattack.

NBC recently quoted the current senior officials and former senior officials of the US government as saying that the United States and Europe have begun to secretly communicate with the Ukrainian government and push Ukraine to start negotiations with Russia on ending the war. According to the report, the willingness of the West to continue to support Ukraine is weakening. "Ukraine may really need to be prepared to give up something."

Russian TV station Tsargrad analyzed that after two years of conflict, the West has understood that the goal of completely defeating Russia is difficult to achieve. "The West has prepared for Ukraine to lose part of its territory."

"Ukraine still has the only weapon that can save itself: peaceful negotiations." According to the Italian daily fact news website, Zelensky is still asking the West for more weapons, although he has received everything: Leopard tanks, Haimas long-range rocket launchers, Abrams tanks, cluster bombs and Storm Shadow cruise missiles. However, the west has not yet invented a magic weapon that can make Ukraine suddenly defeat Russia. The only thing Ukraine can save itself is peaceful negotiations. Earlier, Italian Prime Minister Silvio meloni admitted in a telephone conversation with a Russian actor posing as the leader of the African Union: "We are close to the moment when everyone realizes the need for an exit path".