Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that the Kremlin stands for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict on the condition that its root causes are removed, describing the conflict as complex and demanding a “careful approach.”
“We are for resolving all these issues by peaceful means. Yet with removing the original causes that triggered the current situation,” Putin said during a meeting with the Russian Navy.
Putin further stated that Moscow is ready to work on the Ukrainian settlement with Europe as well but will not make any mistakes in excessively trusting the West, local media reported.
“We are also ready to work with Europe, it is just that they are acting inconsistently, constantly trying to fool us. But it’s ok, we have gotten used to it already. I hope we will make no mistakes based on excessive trust in our so-called partners,” Russian state-run news agency TASS reported Friday, quoting Putin as saying.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a range of initiatives to support Ukraine Thursday at a summit in Paris amid growing uncertainty over continued US assistance.
At a press conference following the summit of the “Coalition of the Willing,” Macron announced a joint Franco-British plan to send a team to Ukraine to help shape the future structure of the Ukrainian army.
The French President said that he and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would “jointly lead” the coordination efforts of Ukraine’s international coalition of allies, Xinhua news agency reported.
Following the “Coalition of the Willing” summit on providing security guarantees for Ukraine, held in Paris, Starmer said the time to lift sanctions against Russia has not yet come. The French President reiterated that it is too early to lift sanctions on Russia.
The announcement comes after the US said Tuesday that it would start lifting some sanctions on Moscow, particularly on agricultural trade.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday that Moscow is “categorically against” the possible deployment of Western peacekeepers in Ukraine.
Such a scenario could lead to a direct clash between Russia and NATO, Zakharova said, adding that London and Paris are hatching plans for “a military intervention in Ukraine” under the guise of a peacekeeping operation.
Earlier this week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow and Washington have a mutual desire to move forward with efforts to resolve the Ukraine crisis.
Peskov said that both countries share a “desire and readiness” to follow the path of a peaceful settlement, adding that there was a mutual understanding between the two sides.
Following consultations between Russia and the US in Riyadh, the Kremlin announced an agreement on the implementation of the Black Sea initiative, including measures to ensure the safety of navigation.
The agreements on the Black Sea will take effect once sanctions on Russian banks facilitating trade in agricultural products and mineral fertilizers are lifted.
