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Putin says military op in Ukraine aimed at long-lasting peace after direct talks: media

Global Times

By Fan Anqi Published: May 18, 2025 11:22 PM

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that his country's special military operation in Ukraine is aimed at long-lasting peace, stressing that Russia has ample forces to complete the operation and reach the designated objectives, Russian state news agency Tass reported.

Putin's remarks came after the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks in three years ended in less than two hours Friday. Both countries agreed to trade 1,000 prisoners of war each soon in what would be the biggest such exchange yet, AP reported.

AP reported that after the meeting, Russian delegation head Vladimir Medinsky pronounced himself "satisfied with the outcome," adding that Moscow was ready to continue contacts. The Reuters cited a Ukrainian anonymous source by saying that Russia had presented conditions the source described as "non-starters."

Russia's "satisfaction" stems from two aspects: first, the consensus on exchanging POWs provides a strong message domestically, and second, a face-to-face reiteration of its strategic demands for Ukraine - to cede territory, abandon NATO membership ambitions and become a neutral country, laying the groundwork for future negotiations. However, these terms severely violate Kiev's bottom lines. "The divergent reactions underscore the structurally irreconcilable nature of the conflict," Sun Xiuwen, an associate professor at the Institute for Central Asian Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, added that the differing reactions to the peace talks also stem from mismatched expectations. While Ukraine approached the talks with higher expectations, the Russian side, judging from its delegation, signaled a more cautious stance, treating this as a preliminary re-engagement after a three-year hiatus. "It's unrealistic to think that with such entrenched disputes and deep divisions, the two sides can work out a way to resolve the conflict overnight," Cui told the Global Times on Sunday.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Tass on Saturday that Russia will prepare and deliver a list of ceasefire conditions to Kiev. Both sides agreed to exchange ceasefire condition lists, Peskov stated, adding that the specific content of the document would not be disclosed.

Also on Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the US' plan for a peace settlement in Ukraine, according to spokesperson for the US Department of State Tammy Bruce, Tass reported. The top Russian diplomat "acknowledged the constructive role played by the US in encouraging Kiev to finally accept President Vladimir Putin's proposal to resume negotiations in Istanbul" and reiterated Moscow's willingness to continue working with US colleagues in this context."

Trump, writing on Truth Social, said he would speak with Putin to discuss stopping the conflict at 1400 GMT on Monday. He would speak afterward with Zelensky and various members of NATO. In Moscow, Peskov also confirmed that preparations were underway for a conversation between Putin and Trump.

For future arrangements, Rubio said on Saturday that the Vatican could be a venue for Russia-Ukraine peace talks. Speaking to reporters in Rome, he said he would be discussing potential ways the Vatican could help, "the status of the talks, the updates after Friday and the path forward," per AP.

Ukrainian authorities claimed early on Sunday that Russia launched the largest known drone attack since the conflict began, which killed a woman in the Kiev region and injured at least three people, per Reuters.

Prospects for a near-term ceasefire appear small, given the substantial gap between Russian and Ukrainian positions on territorial and security framework issues. The Russia-Ukraine conflict has now evolved from a military confrontation into a full-fledged geopolitical contest, and the future trajectory of the situation hinges on four key variables: domestic public sentiment, battlefield developments, the sustainability of Western aid to Ukraine, and the intensity of major powers' diplomatic engagement, Sun said.

Cui believes that the negotiations will be a long-term process. This process may begin with reaching agreements on less sensitive issues like prisoner swaps or grain exports to build mutual trust. Only after initial progress can discussions turn to a larger-scale, longer-term truce.