MOSCOW, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Moscow is open to talks on Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday.
"We have always said this, and I would like to emphasize this once again, we are ready for negotiations on the Ukrainian issue," Putin said.
In the meantime, the Russian president said that certain issues require special attention. He recalled that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had previously issued a decree prohibiting such negotiations.
"How can negotiations be resumed now when they have been banned?" Putin questioned, adding that if talks were to resume, they would be illegitimate under Ukraine's current legal framework.
Putin said that as long as the decree remains in place, it will be difficult to talk about whether these negotiations can begin, or whether they can be properly completed. He noted that while some preliminary discussions can happen, serious negotiations would be difficult given the existing ban from the Ukrainian side.
The Russian leader said Zelensky "was in no hurry" to lift the decree banning negotiations, and follow the orders of his sponsors. He said that those who are funding Kiev should pressure the Ukrainian leader to do so.
During his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos on Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. efforts to secure a peace settlement between Russia and Ukraine were "hopefully underway," adding that Ukraine was ready to make a deal. ■
