Putin Urges Quiet Diplomacy Over Public Talks on Ukraine Conflict

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the objectives laid out by Moscow regarding Ukraine in June 2024 have not changed. He made this comment during a conversation with journalists while meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Valaam Island.

“These are not conditions, but rather goals. I outlined Russia’s goals. Previously, we were told that it was unclear what Russia wanted. Well, we defined them in June last year during a meeting with the Foreign Ministry leadership,” said Putin.

He emphasized that the main objective is to eliminate the root causes of the crisis and to resolve humanitarian issues arising from the conflict.

"All disappointments arise from excessive expectations — this is a well-known general rule," Putin remarked in response to criticism of his foreign policy.

These remarks were made during an interview with journalist Pavel Zarubin, which was published on the reporter’s Telegram channel.

According to Putin, resolving the Ukrainian conflict will require “thorough discussions” — conversations that must take place “not in public,” but rather “calmly, in the quiet of the negotiation process.”