Russia is 'ready to negotiate and compromise', Putin says

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- ALASTAIR JAMIESON

During boasts about Russia’s military achievements in his annual marathon televised news conference, Vladimir Putin said he was ready to compromise over Ukraine in possible talks on ending his war and has no conditions for starting discussions.

The Russian president told one reporter he was ready to meet Donald Trump, who he said he had not spoken to for years. The US president-elect has vowed to swiftly end the Ukraine war, without giving any details on how he might achieve that. Asked what he might be able to offer Mr Trump, Mr Putin dismissed an assertion that Russia was in a weak position.

“We have always said that we are ready for negotiations and compromises,” Mr Putin said, after claiming that Russian forces, advancing across the entire front, were moving towards achieving their primary goals in Ukraine. “Soon, those Ukrainians who want to fight will run out, in my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight. We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises.”