Putin will not negotiate on Ukraine, ex-PM says

Former Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov said on October 3 that President Vladimir Putin is not ready to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, despite what Kasyanov described as growing economic trouble and unease in Russia.

Speaking in an AFP interview in Paris, Kasyanov said he believed Putin understood that invading Ukraine in 2022 was a mistake but could not admit it.

Kasyanov, who served as Russia's prime minister from 2000 to 2004 and later became a Kremlin critic, said he was not convinced the war would end next year. He said Putin believed he could continue the war without concessions and win a war of attrition against Ukraine.

He warned that the coming winter could be especially difficult for Ukraine and urged Western countries to close ranks, apply pressure on the Kremlin and urgently provide Patriot missile interceptors to protect against Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Kasyanov, who left Russia in 2022 and lives in exile in Riga, said he remained in contact with some members of Russia's ruling elite. He said fear dominated the ruling class and that many people wanted the war to end, though they differed over what kind of ending they wanted.

He said he saw no grounds for a revolt among ordinary Russians, but said a new wave of large-scale military mobilisation could trigger street protests.

Kasyanov also said he did not believe Putin was preparing for open war with Europe, arguing that the Russian leader wanted to force Europe to show him respect.