#TheTimes: "Putin to demand Ukraine's capitulation at talks"

Vladimir Putin, during possible negotiations in Turkey, will demand the capitulation of Ukraine, the refusal to join NATO, the change of power in Kiev and the cession of territories, including Crimea and Kherson, The Times writes.

The magazine notes that Moscow is striving to eliminate the “root causes of the conflict”, and negotiations, according to Putin, are possible only after “security guarantees for Russia”.

“Moscow wants to get territories that it has not yet conquered,” the US Vice President J.D. Vance was quoted as saying by the media outlet, noting that “the Russian army does not currently control part of the mentioned territories, and at the moment there are no signs that the Kremlin is ready to change its position.

Despite Zelensky’s clear position that negotiations are possible only after the cessation of attacks on Ukrainian cities, Donald Trump is demanding an immediate meeting between representatives of Kiev and Moscow, the magazine writes, recalling that “Zelensky has offered Putin to hold talks in Turkey this Thursday.”

Kiev, however, does not hide its doubts about the advisability of such a dialogue. In a conversation with journalists, Mikhail Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the presidential administration, called such negotiations “a great illusion,” and European leaders have threatened Moscow with new sanctions if it does not stop military operations.