Vladimir Putin has set conditions so that discussions for peace in Ukraine can begin. He also criticized the peace summit, planned for Switzerland on June 15 and 16.
Vladimir Putin said Friday that he will negotiate with Ukraine in the event of a withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the four regions he claims and when kyiv gives up joining NATO, sweeping away the peace summit organized in Switzerland and to which Moscow was not invited.
“As soon as kyiv (…) begins the effective withdrawal of troops (from the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia), and as it notifies the abandonment of its plan to join NATO, we will immediately give, at the very minute, the order to cease fire and begin negotiations“, Mr. Putin said to the executives of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
A demand for surrender from Ukraine
These demands constitute a de facto request for surrender from Ukraine, the objective of which is to maintain its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Mr. Putin proclaimed in September 2022 the annexation of the four regions of eastern and southern Ukraine, in addition to that of Crimea in 2014.
Vladimir Putin specified that Ukraine must hand over all these territories to Russia, even though Moscow only partially occupies them.
Putin denigrates peace summit
He also denigrated the peace summit, from which Russia was excluded, planned in Switzerland on June 15 and 16 at the initiative of Ukraine, seeing it as a “ploy to distract everyone’s attention“the real people responsible for the conflict who, according to him, are the Westerners and the Kiev authorities.
“In this regard, I want to emphasize that without the participation of Russia and an honest and responsible dialogue with us, it is impossible to achieve a peaceful solution in Ukraine and the security of Europe in general.“insisted the Russian president.
war in ukraine vladimir putin russia
