A peace deal to end the Russian war in Ukraine is “practically impossible,” President Vladimir Putin said.
U.S. President Donald Trump is pushing for a settlement to the Ukraine crisis, and has threatened Russia with new punitive sanctions and secondary tariffs if it does not make peace soon.
Putin, speaking at an Eastern Economic Forum event, said he noted that Kyiv is seeking high-level direct contacts, including a meeting between himself and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, but “I don’t see much sense in it.”
“Why? Because it will be practically impossible to reach an agreement with the Ukrainian side on key issues, even if there were political will—which I doubt,” Putin said, originally in Russian, on Friday, September 5.
“There are also technical difficulties,” Putin said, pointing to Ukraine’s constitutional requirement for referenda on any new territorial agreements, but that cannot happen while the country is in a state of martial law.
“If martial law is lifted, presidential elections must immediately be held. After the referendum, if it takes place, depending on the results, approval from the Constitutional Court is required.”
But Putin said Ukraine’s Constitutional Court is not functioning because it is in the grip of a political crisis.
“Therefore, this endless process leads nowhere. Nevertheless, we have said that we are ready for meetings at the highest level,” Putin said, though he is only willing to meet with Zelensky in Moscow, which the Ukrainian leader has ruled out.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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