Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks throughout his go to to the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Moscow on January 24, 2025. Photo: Sputnik by way of Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday (January 24, 2025) echoed U.S. President Donald Trump’s declare the conflict in Ukraine could have been prevented had he been in the White House in 2022. He additionally mentioned Moscow is prepared for talks with the U.S. on a broad vary of points.
In an interview with Russian state tv, Mr. Putin praised Mr. Trump as a “clever and pragmatic man” who is concentrated on U.S. pursuits.
“We always had a business-like, pragmatic but also trusting relationship with the current U.S. president,” Mr. Putin mentioned. “I couldn’t disagree with him that if he had been President, if they hadn’t stolen victory from him in 2020, the crisis that emerged in Ukraine in 2022 could have been avoided.”
Mr. Putin’s assertion was his bluntest endorsement but of Mr. Trump’s refusal to simply accept his defeat in the 2020 election.
Mr. Trump additionally has mentioned repeatedly he wouldn’t have allowed the conflict to start out if he had been in office, regardless that he was president as combating grew in the east of the nation between Kyiv’s forces and separatists aligned with Moscow, forward of Mr. Putin sending in tens of 1000’s of troops in 2022.
On Thursday (January 23, 2025), Mr. Trump instructed Fox News that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ought to have made a take care of Mr. Putin to keep away from the conflict.
Mr. Putin emphasised on Friday (January 24, 2025) that he’s open to talks however pointed to Mr. Zelenskyy’s 2022 resolution to rule out negotiations with Moscow.
“How is it possible to conduct talks if they are banned?” Mr. Putin mentioned. “If the talks start in the existing legal framework, they would be illegitimate and the results of those talks could also be declared illegitimate.”
He additionally mentioned the U.S. and Russia have many different gadgets on their agenda, together with nuclear arms management and financial points.
“We can have quite a lot of points of contact with the current administration and search for solutions to key issues of today,” Mr. Putin mentioned.
He mentioned the sanctions in opposition to Russia launched throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period and beneath Joe Biden’s administration had harm U.S. pursuits, undermining the greenback’s function in international monetary system.
Mr. Putin described Mr. Trump as “not only clever, but a pragmatic man”, including. “I find it hard to imagine that he would make decisions that would hurt the American economy”.
“We’d better meet and have a calm conversation on all issues of interest to both the United States and Russia based on today’s realities,” Mr. Putin mentioned.
He famous that as prime oil producers and main industrial powers, Russia and the U.S. aren’t in international oil costs being both too low or too excessive. “We have things to talk about,” Mr. Putin mentioned.
Speaking by video from the White House to the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Thursday (January 23, 2025), Mr. Trump mentioned the OPEC+ alliance of oil exporting nations shares accountability for the practically 3-year-old conflict in Ukraine as a result of it has saved oil costs too excessive.
“If the price came down, the Russia-Ukraine war would end immediately,” he mentioned. Energy gross sales kind a big a part of Russia’s earnings.
Asked about Mr. Trump’s feedback, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov affirmed Moscow’s view that the conflict was triggered by the West’s refusal to keep in mind Russian safety pursuits.
“The conflict doesn’t depend on oil prices,” Mr. Peskov mentioned in a convention name with reporters. “The conflict is ongoing because of the threat to Russia’s national security, the threat to Russians living on those territories and the refusal by the Americans and the Europeans to listen to Russia’s security concerns. It’s not linked to oil prices.”
Mr. Peskov’s feedback echoed Putin’s statements that he had to ship troops into Ukraine to fend off a menace to Russia’s safety ensuing from plans for Ukraine to hitch NATO and to guard Russian audio system dwelling there. Ukraine and the West have denounced Moscow’s motion as an unprovoked act of aggression.
On Wednesday (January 22, 2025), Mr. Trump threatened to impose stiff tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an settlement isn’t reached to finish the combating in Ukraine.
Mr. Peskov mentioned the Kremlin was intently following Mr. Trump’s statements and famous he imposed a slew of sanctions in his first time period. He mentioned Moscow “remains ready for an equal dialogue, for a mutually respectful dialogue”.
“This dialogue took place between the two presidents during Trump’s first presidency. And we are waiting for signals that we have not received yet,” Mr. Peskov mentioned.
Published – January 24, 2025 11:16 pm IST
