RT, 5/18/25
Russia is seeking to achieve “lasting and sustainable peace” by eliminating the root causes of the Ukraine conflict, President Vladimir Putin has said, in an extract of an interview released by Russia 1 TV on Sunday.
In a clip posted by journalist Pavel Zarubin on Telegram, Putin stated that Russia has “enough strength and resources to bring what was started in 2022 to its logical conclusion” while accomplishing Moscow’s key goals.
Russia wants to “eliminate the causes that caused this crisis, create conditions for long-term sustainable peace and ensure the security of the Russian state and the interests of our people in those territories that we always talk about,” he added.
The president was apparently referring to Crimea, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye, which overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining Russia in referendums in 2014 and 2022.
People in these former Ukrainian territories “consider Russian to be their native language” and see Russia as their homeland, he said.
Commenting on the ongoing diplomatic engagement with the US to settle the conflict, Putin acknowledged that “the American people, including their president [Donald Trump] have their own national interests.”
“We respect that, and expect to be treated the same way,” he added.
Putin’s remarks come on the heels of the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks since 2022. As a result of Turkish-mediated negotiations in Istanbul, both sides agreed to exchange lists of conditions for a potential ceasefire, conduct a major prisoner swap, and discuss a follow-up meeting. The Kremlin has not ruled out direct talks between Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky if the ongoing peace efforts result in progress and firm agreements.
Following the talks, US President Donald Trump announced he would hold a phone call with his Russian counterpart on Monday, which would focus on trade and resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the Istanbul negotiations with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who welcomed the results of the talks.
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By Donald Trump, Truth Social, May 17, 2025
@realDonaldTrump
I WILL BE SPEAKING, BY TELEPHONE, TO PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN OF RUSSIA ON MONDAY, AT 10:00 A.M. THE SUBJECTS OF THE CALL WILL BE, STOPPING THE “BLOODBATH” THAT IS KILLING, ON AVERAGE, MORE THAN 5000 RUSSIAN AND UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS A WEEK, AND TRADE. I WILL THEN BE SPEAKING TO PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY OF UKRAINE AND THEN, WITH PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY, VARIOUS MEMBERS OF NATO. HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END. GOD BLESS US ALL!!!
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Kremlin Names Condition for Putin-Zelensky Meeting
Sputnik, 5/17/25
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky is possible if delegations of both countries reach certain agreements, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Saturday.
“There have been a lot of questions on the topic of a possible meeting between the presidents of the two countries, Ukraine and Russia, Zelensky and Putin,” Peskov told reporters.
“Such a meeting as a result of the work of the delegations of the two sides is possible when certain agreements of these delegations are reached,” he added.
“We consider it possible. But it is precisely as a result of work and upon reaching certain results in the form of agreements between the two sides,” the Kremlin spokesman said.
Russia and Ukraine have agreed to exchange the lists of ceasefire conditions and the Russian side is working on it, he explained.
“[Russia and Ukraine] really agreed to exchange the lists of ceasefire conditions. The work is continuing, it is being carried out. The Russian side has prepared such a list and will hand it over, with exchange with the Ukrainian side,” Peskov said.
At the same time, the work on the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine has just started and it will be continued, Peskov added.
Moscow considers the candidacy of Kiev’s signatory as the main and fundamental thing when signing documents between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations during the negotiations, Peskov said.
“When signing the documents to be agreed upon by the delegations, the main and principal thing for us is who exactly will sign these documents from the Ukrainian side,” Peskov said.
A change in the composition of the Russian delegation to the negotiations with Ukraine is not being discussed, he said, adding that the talks will continue.
“At the moment, there is no discussion of this. In fact, the work has just begun and will continue,” Peskov said.
He also said that it is important to implement the agreements reached during the recent talks.
“For now, we must follow through on what the delegations agreed upon yesterday. This primarily involves fulfilling the exchange of 1,000 for 1,000 war prisoners, and exchanging the lists of the main conditions discussed yesterday, as my colleague Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky said,” Peskov added.
The negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are held behind the closed doors, and this practice should continue in the future, the Kremlin spokesman said.
There have not been any contacts between Moscow and Washington after the talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Peskov said.
“No, there have not been any contacts,” he said.
At the same time, if Putin and US President Donald Trump find it necessary to have a telephone call, the Kremlin will inform about that, Peskov added.
Following Friday’s meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led the Russian delegation, said that the sides agreed to prepare detailed lists of conditions for a ceasefire.