Russian leader tells condition Tv set he is ‘prepared to negotiate’ an close Ukraine war

Vladimir Putin claimed today that he is keen to hold talks with Ukraine – as an ex Russian spy and army commander has slammed the ‘stupid stubbornness’ of his war leaders and stated any hope for good results in the Donbas is ‘ephemeral’.

In an job interview with point out tv, excerpts of which were being launched right now, Putin said that Russia is ‘prepared to negotiate some satisfactory results with all the individuals of this method.’ 

Opposite to the Russian president’s feedback, the Kremlin has been ramping up its attacks on the south and east of the region about the Christmas period of time – a apparent sign that peace isn’t imminent.

Igor Girkin, a previous FSB officer who led combating in Donbas in 2014 and is now a self-styled ‘war blogger’, decried Russia’s latest war attempts in the place, which he believes are possible to conclude in major losses.

Visuals clearly show Russian president Vladimir Putin talking with a journalist on Russian condition Tv set about the war towards Ukraine

Igor Girkin (still left), a former FSB officer who led fighting in Donbas in 2014 and is now a self-styled ‘war blogger’, strike out at the ‘stupid stubbornness’ of Russian military leaders

‘My prediction: this endeavor to break through the enemy’s very long-standing protection will be no a lot more successful than all other identical makes an attempt manufactured in 10 months on the Donetsk entrance,’ Girkin wrote on Telegram these days. 

‘The final result of it will be slight wedges into the enemy’s defense line, the destruction of the liberated settlements to the level of entire impossibility of dwelling in them and… the decline of the bulk of the infantry that is put into fight.’ 

Girkin, who goes by the nom-de-guerre Strelkov, this means ‘shooter’, is a staunch Russian nationalist and helped to direct the annexation of Crimea in 2014 – but has considering the fact that been vocal in his criticism of Russian navy leadership and methods.

Apartment properties in Bakhmut ruined from missile strikes are seen, as Russia’s assault on Ukraine proceeds

The inside of condominium properties harmed from missile strikes is pictured, as Russia’s assault on Ukraine proceeds, through extreme shelling on Christmas Working day at the frontline in Bakhmut, Ukraine

In a thinly-veiled attack on commanders, who he earlier explained ‘leave much to be desired’, Girkin explained them as ‘sheep’ in his put up right now and advised they should ‘personally participate’ in their have options.

The Kremlin has pushed in advance in its assault on the region, inspite of big losses and on the battlefield in the latest months, and has said it will struggle until all its aims are obtained.

In the meantime, Kyiv says it will not rest until eventually each individual Russian soldier is ejected from all of its territory.

‘We are completely ready to negotiate with all people associated about acceptable solutions, but that is up to them – we are not the types refusing to negotiate, they are,’ Putin explained to Rossiya 1 point out television.

The Kremlin has recurring this sentiment in latest months, as its invasion of Ukraine, which was introduced in February, carries on to lose momentum. 

Vladimir Putin pictured on Friday. The Russian leader  added in his reviews about Ukraine, which were being broadcast on Christmas working day, that ‘it’s not us who refuse talks, it’s them’ – a statement he has frequently created

An adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated Putin desired to return to reality and acknowledge it was Russia which did not want talks.

‘Russia one-handedly attacked Ukraine and is killing citizens,’ the adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, tweeted. ‘Russia isn’t going to want negotiations, but attempts to prevent responsibility.’

Putin also recurring that Moscow has ‘no other choice’ and said he thought the Kremlin was ‘acting in the ideal path.’

‘We’re defending our countrywide passions, the passions of our citizens, our folks,’ he reported.

Putin’s remarks arrive as assaults on Ukraine continue on. A nation-huge air raid warn was introduced 2 times on Sunday alone, and a few missiles in the afternoon hit the city of Kramatorsk in the partly occupied Donetsk location, regional officials documented.

A Ukrainian BM-21 Grad many rocket launcher fires a rocket on December 25, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine proceeds

The missiles strike an industrial space of the town, and there were not any casualties, according to the Ukrainian governor of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko. 

Kyrylenko claimed that the town of Avdiivka was also attacked on Sunday with 6 rounds of shelling, and that a girl was wounded there.

In other places in the front-line area, close to the city of Bakhmut, where fierce battles have been underway in latest months, the Russian forces were being having difficulties to retain up the speed of their offensive, a US-primarily based think tank noted this weekend.

This photograph taken on December 25, 2022, demonstrates Sviatohirsk Cave Monastery, ‘an Orthodox Christian monastery’, partially weakened by shelling in the city of Sviatohirsk, in Donetsk location

‘Russian forces’ level of progress in the Bakhmut spot has possible slowed in current times, whilst it is much too early to evaluate no matter whether the Russian offensive to seize Bakhmut has culminated,’ the Institute for the Research of War wrote in its modern update.

The imagine tank cited Russian military bloggers, who it reported have lately acknowledged ‘that Ukrainian forces in the Bakhmut space have managed to marginally slow down the rate of the Russian progress all-around Bakhmut and its bordering settlements.’

Sources on Ukrainian social media ‘previously claimed that Ukrainian forces wholly pushed Russian forces out of the eastern outskirts of Bakhmut’ about December 21, the report added.

Volodymyr, 61, and Nataliia Bolias, 51, stroll previous an industrial creating that acquired a missile strike, as Russia’s assault on Ukraine proceeds, for the duration of rigorous shelling on Christmas Day at the frontline in Bakhmut

‘Russian forces will likely struggle to maintain the rate of their offensive operations in the Bakhmut region and may well seek to initiate a tactical or operational pause,’ the institute concluded.

A working day in advance of, a fatal Russian attack on the southern metropolis of Kherson, retaken by Ukrainian forces final thirty day period, killed and wounded scores of persons.

The Russian forces shelled Ukrainian-held parts of the partly occupied Kherson location 71 periods over the earlier 24 several hours, which includes 41 attacks on the city of Kherson, the region’s Ukrainian governor Yaroslav Yanushevich described on Sunday.

A whole of 16 men and women have been killed, according to the formal, which includes a few crisis personnel killed in the method of demining the Berislav district of the location. Yanushevich claimed that 64 far more have been wounded.

In the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk location, the city of Nikopol was shelled overnight from major artillery, Gov. Valentyn Reznichenko reported.  No casualties have been reported.