Putin Warns Business Leaders Ukraine Ceasefire Talks Will Be ‘Slow & Difficult’

Amid ongoing meetings between American and Russian delegations to find a path forward to peaceful settlement of the Ukraine war, President Putin has issue rare remarks on his vision for a likely timeline.

He told Russian business leaders in a closed-door meeting this week that they shouldn’t expect a quick peace deal and that US-led sanctions are unlikely to be dropped anytime soon, despite President Trump’s recently hinting that he could drop sanctions.

The words, only revealed in regional newspapers Thursday, were issued at Tuesday’s annual congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs.

Putin conveyed his view US-backed negotiations would be “difficult and slow” no matter the optimism coming from the White House.

“This [war and sanctions] machine won’t be that easy to turn around,” one attendee summarized of Putin’s take after leaving the private session.

“The president advised us not to be naive and to understand how many people and interests are involved in the processes currently taking place,” journalist Farida Rustamova reported another source as saying.

Attendees further cited Putin’s presentation as “positive but objective” while yet lacking in “unbridled optimism” – which characterized some of the initial back and forth between Washington and Moscow during opening weeks of the Trump presidency. 

There were reports a month ago that the Kremlin wants Russian media and officials to be more restrained regarding the glowing and enthusiastic coverage of statements from Trump and his vice president J.D. Vance – after they made clear that Ukraine would never join NATO.

Putin in a Tuesday phone call reportedly pressed Trump to grant recognition of Russian sovereignty over the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Trump has appeared open to this, given his previous rhetoric toward Kiev was that it would have to eventually make concessions if it hopes to end the war. The easiest concession to make is regarding Crimea, and this will likely be the very first recognition Moscow asks for along with the four “new territories”. As for upcoming meetings:

• US TEAM TO MEET UKRAINIANS SUNDAY IN RIYADH: CBS
• US TEAM TO MEET WITH RUSSIANS ON MONDAY: CBS

Putin meanwhile has little incentive to rush negotiations – given that with every passing week his forces continue to take ground. For example, Ukraine forces are fast retreating in Kursk, and there’s been wide recognition that Zelensky’s cross-border gambit is effectively over.