Putin is ready to negotiate with Ukraine, but on new terms says Erdogan

Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to negotiate according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.

The statement on Monday, September 26 as reported by state news agency Kommersant followed the SCO summit during which Putin is alleged to have told his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan that the Russian side is ready to resume negotiations.

Cavusoglu said that Putin wanted to negotiate on new terms although he did not provide any details on what they were or might be.

Turkiye officials are said to be trying to arrange a personal meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which they say is necessary for any ceasefire to be negotiated.

The statement said that Putin had new conditions but had not elaborated, confirming the statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on September 11. In his statement, Lavrov said that Russia had not abandoned hopes of peace talks with Ukraine.

That was confirmed earlier in the month by Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov who said that there was a possibility of negotiating with Kyiv. However, he added that this was only possible if the conditions of the Russian side were met.

The announcement follows a week of escalating demonstrations in Russia following Putin’s announcement that 300,000 reservists would be called up for active service. It also comes as Russian forces continue to be driven further back by a Ukrainian offensive that took them by surprise.  

Whether Putin is indeed ready to negotiate remains to be seen and in particular on what terms. Intelligence sources suggest that the chances of peace being negotiated in the short-term are slim, with the kremlin unlikely to have softened in its demands.

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