Putin warns against quick resolution in Ukraine conflict
Prior to the conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin "made it clear" to Russian entrepreneurs not to expect a quick peace agreement in the conflict with Ukraine, journalist Farida Rustamova reported.
According to Rustamova, Putin addressed entrepreneurs during a closed session of the Congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, which took place on March 18, even before the phone conversation between the Russian president and Donald Trump.
- Let me put it this way: the president advised us not to be naive and to understand how many people and interests are involved in the processes currently taking place - said one of the meeting participants.
According to another source who was present at the meeting, Putin believes that the U.S. and the West "will still find a way to put pressure on us, even if the sanctions are lifted."
- This machine (of the conflict with Ukraine, sanctions - ed.) will not be easily dismantled - said one entrepreneur.
Another participant stated that Putin had a "positive but objective" attitude regarding the issue of the conflict with Ukraine. - There was no unrestrained optimism that (negotiating peace) would be possible quickly - he said.
Putin urged the entrepreneurs not to celebrate too quickly and "not to expect that the sanctions will be lifted tomorrow."
"Nothing will be the same"
During the public portion of the meeting, Putin stated that "nothing will be the same" when commenting on the potential return of Western companies to Russia. - There is no point in expecting complete freedom of trade, payments, and capital flow. We cannot rely on Western mechanisms for protecting investors' and entrepreneurs' rights - he said.
According to "Kommersant," Putin also stated during the meeting that Russia will not claim rights to "Odesa and other territories" of Ukraine if Crimea and the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions are recognized as Russian territories.
After Trump's conversation with Putin, the Kremlin issued a statement that the Russian president agreed to a 30-day suspension of attacks on energy facilities. But the next night, the Russians struck Ukraine.
