 Friday that agreements will have to be reached on Ukraine, and reiterated that he has said on many occasions that Russia is ready for it, but expressed his doubts about the West's position after the failure of the Minsk peace accords for Donbas eight years ago.

Speaking at a press conference Putin maintained that he was "disappointed" by a recent 

 of Angela Merkel, in which she states that signing the Minsk agreements would buy Ukraine time to better defend itself against a Russian attack.

"Honestly, it was completely unexpected for me, it's disappointing," he said

"Frankly speaking, I did not expect to hear this from the former chancellor, because I always proceeded from the fact that the leadership of Germany behaves sincerely with us," he added.

"Yes, of course, (she) was on the side of Ukraine, supported it, but still it seemed to me that the German leadership always sincerely sought an agreement on the principles that we agreed, that were achieved, including within the framework of the Minsk process," he maintained. 

The president added that Merkel's statements "only prove that we did everything right from the point of view of launching a special military operation", referring to the war Russia launched on February 24 against Ukraine.

"I expected the other participants in this process to be honest with us. It turns out that they also deceived us. The goal was just to pump up Ukraine with weapons and prepare it for hostilities. Maybe all this should have started earlier," he said, referring to Russia's military intervention.

Putin noted that now the problem is one of trust, which "is already almost at zero" because of such statements, the question arises, "how to negotiate, about what, is it possible to negotiate with anyone, and where are the guarantees?"

"At the same time, in the end we will have to negotiate," he 

. "I have said many times that we are ready for those agreements, we are open, but this makes us think about who we are dealing with," he emphasized.

"I have said many times that we are ready for these agreements, we are open, but this makes us think. Think about who we are dealing with," he said. 

He also reiterated that the participants in the settlement process will have to accept the "reality".

"One way or another, all participants in this process will have to agree with the realities that are developing on the ground," he stated.

What does that mean? Well, it means Ukraine will have to accept Russia's annexation not only of Crimea, but now also of the Kherson, Zaporiyia, Donetsk and Lugansk regions. 

Russia does not control any of these four southern and eastern Ukrainian provinces in their entirety and their annexation is considered illegal by the West and Kiev, which has already said it will fight until it has liberated all occupied territory.

Putin did not acknowledge the setbacks suffered by the Army in the last nine months of the military campaign on the ground - with the withdrawal first from northern Kiev, then from Kharkov, and later also from northern Kherson, but assured that "there are no problems at present."

An image of the Ukrainian forces taking back territories for the Russians

"The special military operation is ongoing. The situation is stable. There is no doubt there and there are no problems at present," he said.

The announcement from President Putin that he is willing to negotiate with Ukraine on a resolution to the conflict is an encouraging sign, but it is important to remain wary of any potential traps that he may have set. 

Putin is a master manipulator and he has been known to use deception and obfuscation to exploit any potential agreements to his own advantage. 

Therefore, it is essential that the international community remain vigilant and ensure that any agreements made with Putin are fair and just for all parties involved. 

Ultimately, the success of any agreement in Ukraine will depend on the willingness of both parties to negotiate in good faith and the ability of the international community to effectively enforce any agreed upon terms. The only way to ensure a lasting and equitable resolution to the conflict is through open dialogue and honest negotiation.

Is Putin admitting defeat by saying that he needs to reach agreements in Ukraine?

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