‘We don’t need a truce; we need peace’ — Putin on the war in Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that what is needed in Ukraine is not a ceasefire, but a “long-term peace with guarantees for Russia and its citizens.”

During his year-end press conference on Thursday, Putin was asked whether the Kremlin is prepared to stop the fighting in Ukraine. He responded that a truce would only give Ukraine time to train its military and replenish its armed forces. “We don’t need a truce; we need peace,” Putin said.

Speaking about battlefield developments, Putin claimed that Russian troops are advancing daily, while Ukrainian forces are unable to hold their positions. “Do you want to give them the chance to regroup? he said. He added that “ensuring the security guarantees [Russia seeks] is a complex issue, but overall, it’s something that can be explored.”

According to Putin, Moscow has been open to various deals at different times, but Kyiv rejected them. The Russian president said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had proposed a Christmas truce “for a day or two” and a prisoner exchange.

“I didn’t reject it. I said, in principle, it’s worth considering. But ask them [Kyiv]. He asked, and the next day the head of the regime announced that there would be no truce, no prisoner exchange,” Putin claimed.

Orbán posted about the proposal on social media on December 11, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized his latest phone talks with Putin. Zelensky’s communications adviser Dmytro Lytvyn responded, stating that Hungary had not discussed the proposal with Ukraine and was not authorized to represent Kyiv in any way.