Ukraine Prepared to Negotiate With Russia After Putin's Out of Office

Ukraine is prepared to negotiate with Russia to end their ongoing conflict once Russian President Vladimir Putin is out of office, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Monday.

More than eight months after Russia invaded Ukraine, the two countries continue to battle. While leaders from both Russia and Ukraine have named their terms for peace talks to begin, negotiations continue to stall.

On Monday, Mykhailo Podolya, an adviser to Zelensky, tweeted that Ukraine "never refused to negotiate" an end to the conflict, noting their longstanding position that they would only negotiate after Russia withdraws its troops from the entirety of Ukraine.

Podolya said he does not believe Putin is prepared to fairly approach peace talks, suggesting talks may not occur until Putin is no longer the leader of Russia. Although Putin has faced growing discontent over his military's failure to achieve substantial goals in Ukraine, he has not indicated any plans to step down.

"Is Putin ready?" Podolya wrote. "Obviously not. Therefore, we are constructive in our assessment: we will talk with the next leader of [the Russian Federation]."

His remarks follow Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov naming Moscow's conditions to begin negotiations on October 30.

During an interview with Russian state television, Lavrov said the Kremlin is "always ready to listen to our Western colleagues if they make another request to organize a conversation." But he added the West would need to "fully take into account the interests of the Russian Federation and its security" and "offer us some serious approaches that will help defuse tensions."

That same day, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said any negotiations would have to begin with the United States, which he said has a "deciding vote" in how the conflict would come to a close. Putin last week said "necessary conditions" could arise to spark negotiations but that Ukraine was "refusing to discuss anything" with Moscow.

The United States and other Western countries believe Ukraine should be at the center of any negotiations aimed at ending the war. In an October letter, President Joe Biden and leaders from an array of U.S. allies reaffirmed their commitment to "providing the support Ukraine needs to uphold its sovereignty and territorial integrity."

"With a view to a viable post-war peace settlement, we remain ready to reach arrangements together with interested countries and institutions and Ukraine on sustained security and other commitments to help Ukraine defend itself, secure its free and democratic future, and deter future Russian aggression," the letter reads.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment.