Putin: Russia Remains Open to Discussing Settlement in Ukraine

Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday confirmed that his country was and remains open to discussing the issue of a peace settlement in Ukraine. At the conclusion of his talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow, Putin said: "With regard to Russia, we have said more than once that we were and are still open to discussing a political and diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis." In press statements following the talks, the Russian President stressed that there should not be a truce or a temporary halt to the re-arming of Ukrainian forces, and that his country supports a complete and final end to the conflict, saying, "This should not be a truce or a temporary ceasefire, which Kiev can use it to compensate for losses, regroup, and rearm, Russia supports a complete and final end to the conflict." He explained that among the conditions proposed by Russia is "the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russian territories," adding, "In the current difficult geopolitical sit uation, Russia and Hungary continue dialogue, and this is important." Putin noted that he spoke with Orban about "difficult issues," including the situation in Ukraine and possible ways to resolve the crisis there. Source: Qatar News Agency