Putin says Russia has no preconditions for talks on Ukraine

Russia is ready to conduct a dialog on Ukraine without preconditions but on the basis of the Istanbul agreements and realities on the ground. Russian President Vladimir Putin said this on December 19 during the "Results of the Year".

"We have no preconditions. We are ready to conduct a dialog without preconditions, but on the basis of what we agreed - I have already said it 100 times - during the negotiation process in Istanbul at the end of 2022, but also on the basis of the realities on the ground today," he said.

Putin also indicated that the Russian side is ready to sign peace agreements with any legitimate authorities in Kiev, but noted that the current Ukrainian authorities are illegitimate.

"Just to sign we can only sign with those who are legitimate. And the legitimate ones are the Rada and the chairman of the Rada. He is completely under the head of the regime," the Russian leader said, recalling that there are no grounds for extending the presidential powers of Vladimir Zelensky (their term expired on May 20)

The last round of talks took place in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. They lasted about three hours. Later, Kiev officially refused contacts with Moscow. On October 4 of the same year, the decision of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine on the impossibility of holding talks with Putin was put into effect.

The direct line with Vladimir Putin in 2024 is combined with a press conference for the media. The format called "The Year's Results with Vladimir Putin" allows the president to convey his position not only on citizens' issues, but also on the state and world agenda, which is often asked about by journalists. Representatives of Western media and foreign journalists accredited in Russia have also received invitations to the events.

As of the morning of December 19, the number of requests sent to the direct line with the president exceeded 2 million. The first live broadcast was held in December 2001. By the President's own admission, this event is the most powerful sociological poll, which allows citizens to convey their position and assessment of the country's leadership.

The latest news about the "Results of the Year with Vladimir Putin - 2024" - in the Izvestia story.