❗Key takeaways from Putin’s Valdai statements on the situation in Ukraine:

▪Ukraine’s neutral status still remains one of Russia’s objectives

▪The pace of Russian military advances is accelerating

▪The situation in the special military operation zone is evolving rapidly; in September alone, Russia gained control of 1,301 square kilometers

▪Moscow would like to end the conflict in Ukraine as soon as possible, preferably through talks

▪Only about 11% of the Donetsk People’s Republic territory remains under Ukraine’s control

▪Moscow believes it will liberate the entire DPR territory much sooner than Ukraine and Europe expect

▪Ukraine and Europe, however, believe they will be able to hold on to the remaining parts of Donbass for only one and a half to two years

▪For Russia, the Ukrainian issue is not about a “piece of land,” but about the people

▪The US proposals were discussed in Anchorage, and Russia agreed to them

▪Trump’s proposals on Ukraine contain solutions that are difficult for Russia, but Moscow understands that this is a step in the right direction

▪Russia needs security guarantees and conditions for long-term peace

▪Russia was ready to resume negotiations on Ukraine as early as September 21, immediately after the elections, but Kiev launched attacks during the voting

▪To avoid casualties on both sides, it would be best to reach peaceful solutions on Ukraine, including issues related to the Russian language and church