Ukraine Demands: MOSCOW, Nov 8 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin is open to discussing Ukraine with Donald Trump but is unwilling to change Russia’s demands, the Kremlin said on Friday.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, responded to questions about whether Putin’s readiness to speak with the former US president signaled any shift in Moscow’s position. “The president has never said that the goals of the special military operation are changing,” Peskov said. “On the contrary, he has repeatedly said they remain the same.”
Peskov emphasized that Russia’s goals were centered on the country’s security and protecting Russian-speaking people in Ukraine. “There has been no talk of any changes,” he added. 
Ukraine Demands with Russian for Talk
In June, Putin outlined his conditions for ending the war in Ukraine. These included demands that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and withdraw troops from the four regions Russia claims as its own. Ukraine rejected these terms, calling them a form of capitulation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has instead proposed a “victory plan” and called for continued military support from Western nations.
On the campaign trail, Trump criticized the large-scale US military and financial aid to Ukraine. He also claimed he could end the war within 24 hours, although he did not specify how. Zelenskyy congratulated Trump on his election victory but expressed uncertainty about Trump’s plan for peace. “If it’s just fast, it means losses for Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said on Thursday. “I don’t yet understand how this could work. Maybe we are missing something.”
Ukraine Demands:
Putin congratulated Trump on his win and praised his courage in the face of an assassination attempt in July. He also said Moscow was ready for dialogue with Trump, noting that Trump’s comments on trying to end the war were worth considering.
Trump told NBC that he had not spoken to Putin since the election but expected them to converse. “I think we’ll speak,” Trump said.
Peskov was asked whether a phone call would be between Putin and Trump, but he said nothing had yet been confirmed. He said it would be too early to suggest any improvement in Russia-U.S. relations.
While relations between the US and Russia are at a historic low, Peskov reiterated that Putin had made it clear he remains open to dialogue. The Kremlin’s strained ties with Washington stem from US support for Ukraine and Western sanctions imposed on Russia.
The last time Putin spoke to US President Joe Biden was in February 2022, just days before Russia invaded Ukraine. At that time, Biden warned Putin of severe consequences if he went ahead with the invasion.
Last month, the Kremlin denied reports that Trump and Putin had spoken since Trump left office in 2021. In his book War, US journalist Bob Woodward wrote that an unnamed Trump aide suggested the two leaders might have spoken as many as seven times after Trump’s presidency.
While there has been speculation about Trump’s possible role in mediating the conflict, both sides have shown little sign of backing down on their positions. With Russia’s demands unchanged and Ukraine determined to reclaim its territory, the path to peace remains uncertain.
