Russian President Vladimir Putin has touched upon the peace talks with Ukraine, noting that their outcome largely depends on Kyiv.
"We are in touch; our negotiating teams are in contact. I recently asked Medinsky, and he said that I think he spoke with his counterpart from Kyiv just today," the Russian president said.
Putin denied accusations from the West that he does not want to hold negotiations. "It does not matter to us who conducts the negotiations, even if it is the head of the current regime. I am even ready to meet, but if it is some final stage, so that we do not sit and endlessly divide something, but put a final point," he emphasized.
He noted a nuance: who will sign the peace treaty since Zelensky's powers end in May 2024? "In terms of propaganda, you can say anything about the legitimacy of the current authorities. However, when solving serious issues, it is not the propaganda component that is important, but the legal one."
According to Putin, "The legitimate authorities must sign the agreement. Otherwise, the next one will come, say, 'This was not agreed with me,' and throw it in the trash. That's not right. We are solving serious issues."
