ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. At each stage of its special military operation, Russia has offered Ukraine the opportunity to negotiate and stop hostilities, President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
"We offered at each stage to those with whom we are in contact regarding Ukraine to stop and said: 'It's better to negotiate now because the logic of the development of hostilities may lead to your situation worsening. Then, we will have to negotiate with you from a worse position.' This has happened several times," Putin said, noting that politicians from other countries have witnessed this.
At the same time, Putin noted that Kiev's decision was influenced by "those who are guided by old neocolonial principles, first of all in Europe." "They thought that they would easily get rich at Russia's expense, crush it, destroy it, and reap the benefits," he added.
The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is taking place on June 18-21. This year, the event is being held under the theme "Shared Values: The Foundation of Growth in a Multipolar World." The Roscongress Foundation is the event’s organizer. TASS is its information partner.