Putin Sees Peace 'Chance' With Ukraine as Kyiv Predicts New Diplomatic Push

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia —

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday there is a "chance" for peace in Ukraine, though he insisted the war can only be settled by Moscow and Kyiv themselves. Speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a city in Russia's Far East, Putin said other countries, including the United States and China, are ready to support a settlement, but that "the problem must be resolved by the countries involved in the conflict," according to translated remarks reported by CNBC.

Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the same day that he expects a "new dynamic" in the peace effort, describing a return to active political and diplomatic engagement in capitals around the world, Reuters reported, according to CNBC.

A Push That Has Stalled

Efforts by the United States and European governments to broker an end to the war, now in its fifth year, have not produced a settlement. Russia and Ukraine remain divided over territory, security guarantees and whether Ukraine can align militarily with the West, CNBC reported. CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow last week to warn Russia against further escalation, according to media reports cited by CNBC.

Other governments have weighed in publicly. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Putin last week to abandon what he called an "endless war" and pursue peace. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told reporters in Beijing that dialogue and negotiation are the only way to resolve the conflict, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked Beijing to take a stronger diplomatic role.

Airspace Warnings And A NATO Alarm

The diplomatic talk came alongside fresh friction over the fighting itself. Zelenskyy urged airlines this week to avoid Russian airspace as Ukraine expands long-range drone strikes on Russian energy and military sites, saying the skies over Russia have become "completely unsafe." Putin called that warning an act of "state terrorism" and said Russia would intensify its attacks on Ukraine in response, according to CNBC.

Russian forces have stepped up missile strikes on Ukrainian cities as Kyiv struggles with a shortage of air defense equipment, CNBC reported.

Separately, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that Russia is becoming "increasingly reckless," pointing to missiles and drones crossing into eastern Europe and a suspected Russian hybrid attack last month at Leipzig airport in Germany. Speaking alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Rutte said, "If Russia thinks we will be divided by the threat, or if they think we will be deterred from supporting Ukraine, they are mistaken."