Vladimir Putin announced his openness to negotiations - but with reservations

At the end of January 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly announced that Moscow was “open to negotiations” with Kiev. He noted that Russia is ready for dialogue, but considers the legitimacy of the current leadership of Ukraine to be in question: according to the Russian leader, he does not recognize the President of Ukraine “as a legitimate negotiator.” This statement contains an open threat: although a negotiating path is proposed, Moscow sets conditions that make their implementation almost uncompromising. According to experts, this step is outwardly a diplomatic proposal, but inside it is a warning: Russia does not intend to revise its demands for the retention of territories, annexation and political loyalty of the future Kyiv. For international actors and diplomacy, the statement was a reason to exercise caution: the door is formally open, but Moscow’s conditions remain tough. There was a debate in the media space: is this a chance for negotiations or another maneuver by the Kremlin aimed at playing diplomacy while maintaining the strategic line. January 2025 showed that Russia was again offering dialogue - but on its own terms. This marked the beginning of a year in which the topic of negotiations was officially announced, but its chances were in great doubt.