MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused Ukraine and Western nations of rejecting peace agreements reached during March 2022 talks in Istanbul, alleging they aimed instead to deliver a "strategic defeat" to Russia.

Speaking at an economic forum in Vladivostok, Putin claimed that Ukraine and the West disregarded near-finalized terms that could have ended the conflict within its first month.

He specifically pointed to then-British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's intervention, suggesting that Johnson instructed Ukrainian officials to continue fighting.

According to Putin, Ukrainian authorities have admitted that the conflict would have ended "long ago" if the Istanbul agreements had been implemented.

Despite ongoing accusations from Russian officials that Kyiv backed out of the deal under pressure from the UK, Johnson has denied any such influence.

Putin emphasized that Moscow remains open to negotiations based on the initial Istanbul draft, rather than new "ephemeral demands." — Agencies