Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end Ukraine war, says 'sooner, the better'
"Our objective is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict but to bring this war to a close. We are and will keep striving toward this. The sooner we can end this, the better," Vladimir Putin told reporters.
FollowThe war in Ukraine should end as soon as possible, said President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, adding that Russia is aiming for a quick resolution. According to the Russian President, his goal is to end the conflict. 'The sooner you start, the better,' Putin continued. This was the first time Putin used the word 'war' instead of 'special military operation.'
While talking to the reporters, Putin said, "Our goal is not to spin the flywheel of military conflict, but to bring this war to a close. We are striving and will continue to strive for this. We will work hard to end this; the sooner, the better."
Putin's remark came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiyy visited the White House. "I have often said that the escalation of hostilities results in unjustified losses," Putin said.
Russia has repeatedly said that it is open to talks, prompting intense scepticism from Ukraine and its ally, the United States, who suspect it is trying to buy time after a string of defeats and retreats in the 10-month war.
Russia claims that Ukraine is refusing to talk. Ukraine said that Russia must halt its attacks and return seized territory.
According to Putin, "All armed conflicts end in some way with diplomatic negotiations. Any conflicting parties will ultimately sit down and come to an agreement. The sooner those who disagree with us realise this, the better. We never gave up on this."
Putin also downplayed the Patriot air defence system, which US President Joe Biden agreed to provide to Zelenskiy, saying Russia would find a way to counter it.
He claimed it was 'quite old' and did not function similarly to Russia's S-300 system. 'OK, we'll consider this, and an antidote will always be found," he said.
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