Putin Ally Admits Talks a Russian Plan to Buy Time

Russia's talks about negotiations with Ukraine are just a ploy to buy time to build up its military so it can attack with greater force, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted, according to Newsweek.

"I understand that it's strategically important for us to drag out this situation," politician and novelist Zakhar Prilepin said recently on Russian state television. "We clearly aren't ready to launch offensive actions."

At a press conference earlier this month Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the Kremlin is open to peace talks and "ready to negotiate," Newsweek noted, and the Russian Foreign Ministry was highly critical of Ukraine for withdrawing from the negotiation process.

Prilepin, however, admitted that the process was simply an effort to stall to allow Russia to build up its forces, which have been decimated by Ukraine, forcing retreats from previously captured areas.

The West's attempts to persuade Ukraine to negotiate with Moscow, after a series of major military victories by Kyiv, are "bizarre" and amount to asking for its capitulation, a key adviser to the Ukrainian presidency told AFP.

"When you have the initiative on the battlefield, it's slightly bizarre to receive proposals like: 'You will not be able to do everything by military means anyway, you need to negotiate," said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak.

According to Podolyak, Moscow has not made "any direct proposal" to Kyiv for peace talks, preferring to transmit them through intermediaries and even raising the possibility of a ceasefire.

Kyiv sees such talk as mere maneuvering by the Kremlin to win some respite on the ground and prepare a new offensive.

"Russia doesn't want negotiations. Russia is conducting a communication campaign called 'negotiations'," the Ukraine presidential adviser said.

"It will simply stall for time. In the meantime, it will train its mobilized forces, find additional weapons" and fortify its positions," he warned.

Prilepin, who is wanted in Ukraine for war crimes, admitted that is exactly what Russia is doing and that Ukraine has little incentive to negotiate while it is scoring battlefield victories.

"Of course, this wouldn't be to Zelensky's advantage," Prilepin said, adding, "I understand that it's strategically important for us to drag out this situation."

AFP contributed to this report.