Russian President Vladimir Putin had an awkward exchange with a Chinese state media journalist during a recent Q&A session.
Putin said the February 2022 invasion was announced even earlier in reaction to a question about his refusal to pause the war, appearing to sidestep the matter entirely.
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry via a request for comment outside of office hours.
Putin’s comments come 33 months after the start of the conflict and underline his determination to continue the offensive. His justification for the invasion refers to Ukraine’s alleged non-compliance with the Minsk agreement and alludes to broader strategic calculations.
At a press conference on Thursday, a China Media Group reporter asked Putin why he was agreeing to a ceasefire.
Putin responded: “It is worth stopping for a week—to give the enemy a chance to gain a foothold on these positions, to give them a break, to get the necessary ammunition. What we need is not a ceasefire, but peace. Long-term, durable, with guarantees for Russia and its citizens.”
When asked by Russian news outlet RBC whether he would reconsider his decision to start the war if he could go back to February 2022, Putin suggested the invasion happened earlier.
“The resolution that was taken at the beginning of 2022 is already earlier,” Putin said. “Knowing this, it would be necessary to prepare in advance for these events, adding the SMO,” in reference to the “special military operation,” the term used by Putin to designate the invasion.
Putin justified the timing of the invasion by accusing kyiv of refusing to honor the Minsk agreement and saying Ukraine had made “certain claims related to weapons of mass destruction. “
The 2015 Minsk Agreement aimed to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine by calling for a ceasefire, the withdrawal of heavy weapons, and autonomy for separatist regions. It was signed by both Kyiv and Moscow but never fully implemented.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky: Asked about the option of freezing hostilities as President-elect Donald Trump’s team contemplates negotiations, Zelensky told French news outlet Le Parisien that Trump “knows my preference for not rushing things to the detriment of Ukraine. “.
Both parties in conflict have the preconditions to start peace talks.
Ukraine is demanding the full withdrawal of Russian forces from its territory, adding Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Kiev is also demanding reparations, accountability for Russian war crimes and promises of its sovereignty ahead of peace negotiations.
The Kremlin insists that Ukraine recognize the loss of its territories, the Russian-occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea. The Kremlin is also calling on Ukraine to abandon its strategy of joining NATO.
Micah McCartney is a reporter for Newsweek based in Taipei, Taiwan. He covers U.S.-China relations, East Asian and Southeast Asian security issues, and cross-strait ties between China and Taiwan. You can get in touch with Micah by emailing [email protected].