The Russian leader said he was willing to meet Zelensky in Moscow, a suggestion that Ukraine dismissed as ‘unacceptable’
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Kyiv on Wednesday there was a chance to end the war in Ukraine via negotiations “if common sense prevails”, an option he said he preferred, but that he was ready to end it by force if that was the only way.
Speaking in Beijing at the end of a visit that resulted in an agreement on a new gas pipeline to China, Putin said he perceived “a certain light at the end of the tunnel”, given what he said were sincere efforts by the US to find a settlement to Europe’s biggest land war since World War II.
“It seems to me that if common sense prevails, it will be possible to agree on an acceptable solution to end this conflict. That is my assumption,” Putin told reporters.
“Especially since we can see the mood of the current US administration under President [Donald] Trump, and we see not just their statements, but their sincere desire to find this solution … And I think there is a certain light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s see how the situation develops,” he said.
