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On inauguration day Putin opens up dialogue with Trump on Ukraine war

Signs of openness from Moscow: ‘Not just truce, but lasting peace’

On the day Donald Trump takes office in the White House, Vladimir Putin says he is ready for dialogue with the new US administration to address the conflict in Ukraine. The Russian president, speaking at the National Security Council, reiterated the importance of ‘eliminating the root causes of the crisis’ and stressed the need to work for ‘lasting peace based on respect for the legitimate interests of all peoples’.

Trump, during the election campaign and in his most recent speeches, has expressed a willingness to favour a diplomatic solution to the conflict. ‘The war in Ukraine is madness,’ he has repeatedly stated, heralding a possible meeting with Putin and advancing the hypothesis of a “Trump plan” for the creation of a demilitarised zone along the frontline.

According to rumours, this plan would involve suspending Ukraine’s membership in NATO for an extended period and maintaining US military assistance to Kiev to strengthen its defensive capacity. However, at an early stage, some of the regions annexed by Russia, including Luhansk and Donetsk, could remain under Russian control.

Ukraine, for its part, has repeatedly reiterated through President Volodymyr Zelensky that the recovery of lost territories will have to take place through negotiations, while maintaining its own territorial integrity as the ultimate goal.

The Kremlin, meanwhile, has not provided details on the organisation of a possible meeting between the two leaders, but today’s message from Putin is a sign of openness. The possibility of a direct dialogue between Moscow and Washington could mark a turning point for the conflict, which has now been going on for almost three years.

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