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RUSSIAN despot Vladimir Putin has admitted to being open for peace talks with Ukraine again - but only "if it comes to that".
The ageing tyrant welcomed Slovakian PM Robert Fico to the Kremlin before Christmas and claims the pair spoke about using Slovakia as a negotiating headquarters to help solve the nearly three-year conflict.
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Putin said the conversations with Fico were positive as he vowed to look to end the war if the time is right for him and Russia only.
Slovakia has been a strong ally for Russia compared to the rest of Europe in recent months due to the relationship between Putin and Fico.
Fico has publicly criticised the EU for supporting Ukraine since Vlad's illegal invasion in 2022 with him also vowing to block Volodymyr Zelensky from joining Nato.
The Slovak PM has been a key figure in trying to help reach a ceasefire deal to protect Europe from Putin's potential onslaught.
His latest offer has seen him say Slovakia will help host negotiations between the at war nations so a peace deal can finally be reached, Putin claims.
He said Fico made it clear he would "be happy to provide their country" to Russia and Ukraine so an agreement could be struck.
Vlad was quizzed about his comments in a press conference and asked if he genuinely saw the offer as realistic.
Speaking after a Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Leningrad this week the paranoid dictator said: “If it comes to that, why not?
“Because Slovakia holds a neutral position from our point of view. For us it’s an acceptable alternative.”
Slovak foreign minister Juraj Blanar described Putin's comments as a "positive signal" that hinted towards him being open to end the war.
Putin launches brutal Christmas Day missile attack on Ukraine as Nato scrambles jets to intercept rocket over Moldova
Blanar added that Slovakia has always been looking to help secure peace and is now "prepared to actively contribute" to achieving it.
Ukraine has also been briefed about using their neighbours to help facilitate negotiations, the foreign minister said.
They reportedly spoke with Zelensky's officials at a joint cabinet meeting in October and proposed the idea.
Ukraine is yet to respond to Slovakia's offer but President Zelensky has repeatedly criticised Fico's country.
He has strongly condemned the growing bond between Fico and Putin ever since the Slovak returned to power in 2023.
Putin has spoken about finding a solution to his ongoing war for months now.
Back in September, he floated the idea of sitting down and coming to terms over a potential ceasefire deal.
He claimed Russia has never refused negotiations talks but has firmly insisted his unlawful demands are met.
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Russia would only accept a deal if they are allowed to take or keep occupied Ukrainian territory.
The despot has also made it clear that Ukraine can never join Nato while he is in power.
Earlier this month. talks of a deal were once again opened up by Putin himself as he held his bizarre annual call-in session.
In it he claimed he wants a "lasting peace" with Ukraine and even named incoming president Donald Trump as the potential mediator for the talks.
President-elect Trump has been vocal over his confidence to strike a deal between the two nations "within days" to end the fighting.
He has had chats with Zelensky in recent weeks to see where Ukraine currently sits and to try and push them towards the negotiating table.
During the four-hour conference in Moscow this month, Putin said is now also ready to meet Trump after he takes office in January.
He said the pair "have things to discuss" but haven't had any contact yet.
Putin added: "Politics is the art of compromise. We have always said that we are ready for both talks and compromise."
Trump's team have previously made it clear that they have a clear plan to bring peace to Europe.
Plans detailed last month suggest the US will look to keep both sides happy with a deal that freezes the conflict exactly where it currently sits.
This would give Russia the land they have stolen but in turn secure Ukraine's border to prevent any further attacks in the years to come.
Inside Trump's plan for peace
DONALD Trump's top team has hatched a carrot and stick plan to force the warring leaders to the discussion table and bring peace to the region when he enters office in January.
The clever scheme uses America’s military support for Ukraine as a double-edged sword to encourage Zelensky and threaten panicky Putin.
If the Russian war-mongerer kept snatching land and refused to join peace talks, Trump would make him suffer by pouring more cash into Ukraine’s military.
Zelensky would be rewarded for following Trump’s lead with support for Ukraine to protect itself under the new terms of any deal.
Under Trump’s plan, Zelensky would have to give up the land Russia has already taken in the eastern regions of Ukraine and drop his dream of immediately joining Nato.
The Ukrainian leader has repeatedly ruled out land sacrifices for most of the war, but recently indicated he might consider the option to halt the bloodshed.
If Zelensky did not co-operate, Trump would slash the US support that the Ukrainian military relies on.
There are signs both Zelensky and Putin may fall in line with Trump’s plan that could prove to be a silver bullet.
Insiders close to Trump told The Sun that Putin is “scared to death” of the president-elect and will be ready to talk when he takes power.
But bullish Vlad is already teeing up hard-line terms for any deal brokered by Trump, sources say.
Zelensky indicated he may be open to negotiations, but still has Ukraine joining Nato as part of his “victory plan”.
There is consensus among Trump’s advisors that any peace deal would rule out Ukraine joining Nato in the near future, so this could be a sticking point.
But this is where the US could use the threat of withdrawing military support to leverage Zelensky.
Despite Ukraine's Herculean efforts at holding back the Russian army, the tyrant later said he believed the country would soon give up.
He claimed: "Soon, those Ukrainians who want to fight will run out, in my opinion, soon there will be no one left who wants to fight.
"We are ready, but the other side needs to be ready for both negotiations and compromises…"
It comes as Putin launched a brutal missile and drone barrage on Ukraine in a horror Christmas massacre.
Over 70 missiles, including ballistic projectiles, and more than 100 kamikaze drones were launched in a coordinated assault early on December 25.
The attack disrupted festive celebrations across Ukraine, with families forced to take shelter in metro stations as air raid sirens wailed across the country.
In Kyiv, many spent the morning huddled underground, while power outages left Christmas decorations in Kharkiv darkened for much of the day.
Kharkiv’s mayor, Ihor Terekhov, expressed defiance, noting that the city’s resilience remains unbroken despite daily bombardments.
“The enemy terrorises the city, but the spirit of Kharkiv—our spirit—cannot be broken,” he said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strikes as an “inhumane” act, accusing Putin of deliberately targeting the holiday to sow terror.
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