Russian President Vladimir Putin’s comments on Wednesday — in which he blamed Ukraine for the lack of peace talks and claimed Russia was ready for discussions to resume — were designed to pile pressure on the West to push Ukraine back to the negotiating table, analysts said.
They noted that Putin and other Russian officials have routinely claimed the Kremlin is ready to negotiate to end the war while signaling that the Kremlin maintains its key objectives, including territorial claims and regime change in Ukraine.
In other news, Finland is to close all but the most northern border crossing point with Russia in an effort to halt asylum seekers traveling to the country. It claims Russia is encouraging migrants to travel to the border. Moscow denies the allegation.
Source : CNBCC
