He made the remarks on Oct. 1, during a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, according to reports from Russian state propaganda agencies.
Putin said that despite the “difficult decisions” outlined in Trump’s proposals, the Kremlin “understands that this is movement in the right direction.” He also said Russia wants “security guarantees” and conditions for “peace over a long-term historical perspective.”
Putin claimed Russia wants to “end all of this as soon as possible — through peaceful negotiations,” but only if a number of its demands are met. He again demanded Ukraine cedes Donbas and foreswears joining NATO or other military alliances.
Putin claimed that Russia is winning on the battlefield and could capture all of Donbas “much earlier” than within two years. However, he said, Russia would prefer Ukraine to surrender the territory.
Putin said that if Ukraine agreed to terms that were also acceptable to Russia, “then, perhaps, it would be better to end these grave events.”
Putin also claimed that he had been ready to resume negotiations immediately after Russia’s State Duma elections. He blamed Ukrainian drone strikes for the decision not to restart talks.
The Atlantic recently reported that U.S., Ukrainian, and
Russian negotiators could meet in Abu Dhabi this month to discuss, among other
issues, a mutual halt to strikes on energy infrastructure.