Putin Offers Condition for Ending Ukraine War

In what was the first interview he has offered to Western media since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin has given the United States terms for a possible peaceful resolution to end the war.

The Russian leader, in a high-profile interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, said his country “hasn’t yet achieved” its goal, adding that Russia will only stop its military action in Ukraine if the US ceases the supply of arms to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s led Ukraine.

“We’re conveying to the US leadership that if you really want to stop military action, then you need to stop supplying weapons. Then it will all be over in a few weeks and we’ll be able to discuss some terms,” Putin said.

Putin had, on February 24, 2022, ordered the invasion of Ukraine in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict that started in 2014. As the war nears its two-year mark, the administration of Joe Biden, President of the United States, has spent more than $75 billion in cash and equipment on Ukraine in the armed conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians.

In another demand, Putin suggested a prison swap as the option for jailed US journalist Evan Gershkovich to be released. Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal journalist, has been in Russian detention since March 2023.

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“We have certain conditions that are being discussed through channels between special services. I believe an agreement can be reached,” Putin, 71, said in the two-hour interview where he spoke at length on the history of Eastern Europe and Russia.

However, it remains unclear if Joe Biden, who’s seeking re-election in November amidst a falling poll rating, will accept Putin’s terms.