Russian President Vladimir Putin said there was still a chance to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations “if common sense prevails,” but warned Moscow would finish the war “by force of arms” if necessary.
Speaking in Beijing on Wednesday after signing a deal for a new gas pipeline to China, Putin said he saw “a certain light at the end of the tunnel,” citing what he called US President Donald Trump’s “sincere desire” to push for a settlement.
“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,” he told reporters. “If not, then we will have to resolve all the tasks before us by force of arms.”
Despite the conciliatory language, Putin offered no shift in Russia’s long-standing demands, including that Ukraine drop any Nato ambitions and end what Moscow calls discrimination against Russian speakers.
He said he was ready to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Moscow, but only if the talks were “well prepared” and produced “tangible results.” Kyiv rejected Moscow as a venue, with Ukraine’s foreign minister calling the idea “unacceptable.”
Zelenskyy has urged Washington and European allies to tighten sanctions on Russia and pressed for direct talks with Putin, even as both sides remain far apart. Trump, who has positioned himself as a peace broker, has encouraged a leaders’ meeting and warned of secondary sanctions on Russia if diplomacy stalls.
Putin stressed he would prefer to resolve the war “by peaceful means” if possible, but insisted Russia would not abandon its claims, including annexations of four Ukrainian regions — territories Kyiv and the West dismiss as an illegal land grab.
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With inputs from agencies