ASTANA, July 4. In a recent press conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his doubts about the possibility of concluding any agreements on Ukraine through a mediator. Although he affirmed that Russia has always been open to negotiations and has never shied away from them, Putin questioned the effectiveness of relying solely on mediators to resolve the conflict.
The president’s statement came in response to a question about Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s assertion that it is possible to engage in talks with Russia through intermediaries. However, Putin pointed out that a mediator may not have the necessary authority to sign final documents, thus casting doubt on their ability to completely resolve the conflict.
Furthermore, President Putin expressed concerns over whether any mediator would be delegated sufficient power to finalize agreements and bring the negotiations to a close. He emphasized that the issue is not just about the competence of these intermediaries but also their granted powers.
The fundamental issue here is not only the competence of these mediators, but also their powers,” he said. Who can give the mediators the kind of power that would enable them to put an end to this standoff? I simply believe that this is unlikely.
Despite his skepticism regarding the role of mediators in resolving the conflict, Putin did acknowledge Russia’s openness to mediation as a concept. He specifically praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his performance during talks in Istanbul. Nevertheless, Putin’s overall stance on the matter suggests that any final agreement may require direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine rather than relying solely on intermediaries.