Putin Says the Sooner Conflict in Ukraine Ends, the Better

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said that Russia’s goal was to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible and that the fighting would inevitably end through a diplomatic solution.

“So we will seek to make sure that it all ends, and the sooner, the better, of course,” Putin told reporters, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Putin’s comments came the day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Washington and said he wouldn’t “compromise” to reach peace in Ukraine. Zelensky’s demands for talks are the complete withdrawal of Russian forces from territory Russia has captured since February 24.

Zelensky’s demands are a non-starter for Moscow as Russian officials insist they are not leaving the territory Putin has annexed. With the positions so far apart, it’s unlikely any sort of peace talks will happen in the near future unless the US decides to press Ukraine to seek a negotiated solution, which at this point is also unlikely.