Putin: Reaching an agreement with Kyiv is the best option.. Otherwise, the solution is military
In a press conference following his visit to China, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of the continuation of the conflict if negotiations with Ukraine fail, stating: "If we do not succeed in reaching an agreement regarding Ukraine, we will achieve our goals by military means."
Putin expressed confidence in the victories of his forces, indicating that they are "successfully advancing on all fronts of combat," and that the reserves of the Ukrainian armed forces have been depleted.
The Russian president also reiterated the issue of the legitimacy of his Ukrainian counterpart, questioning his ability to negotiate on the grounds that "Zelensky's constitutional term ended last year," despite the fact that the Ukrainian constitution allows Zelensky to remain in office under the current state of emergency.
Putin described the dialogue with Zelensky as a "dead end," while expressing optimism due to the American stance, praising President Donald Trump and his role in calling for a meeting between the two parties.
Putin concluded his statement with an optimistic message, affirming that he "sees light at the end of the tunnel thanks to the position of the new American administration," considering that "if logic prevails, an acceptable end to the conflict in Ukraine can be reached," without clarifying the nature of this end, and despite this, he denied that Russia's security guarantees are linked to direct regional demands.
