"Those are manipulations. If we really want to solve this issue, let's stop doing this. Let's work together on this. And we are ready to negotiate, ready to offer arguments to the people in the southeast so that some compromise is found. We are ready for this and we want this. It is necessary that our partners in Kiev want this," Putin said at his annual press conference.
Moscow has never said that there were no people resolving military issues in Ukraine, but that does not mean that there are Russian troops permanently stationed there, Vladimir Putin said.
"We never said that there were no people who task themselves with solving certain issues, including in the military sphere, but that does not mean that there are regular Russian troops there. Feel the difference," Putin explained at his annual press conference.
