Putin Repeats His Peace Conditions in Ukraine

After the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an interview to Sky News Arabia. In this conversation, Putin once again made public the conditions that Moscow is putting forward to end the war between Russia and Ukraine.

According to Putin, one of Russia’s main demands is the official recognition by Kyiv of the annexed territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as the results of the “referendums” held in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. In his opinion, ignoring these results increases the risk of renewed armed clashes in the future.

At the same time, Putin repeatedly emphasized that the Ukrainian side must adhere to a policy of neutrality, that is, not join foreign military alliances and not deploy nuclear weapons on its territory. The Russian president considers these factors an important foundation for regional security and long-term stability.

In the interview, Putin also repeated that in the spring of 2022, during negotiations in Istanbul, the parties were very close to an agreement. In his view, Ukrainian leaders should put their national interests above those of “third parties.”

“I hope that the current leaders of Ukraine will act in the national interests, not in the interests of a third party. <…> Ukraine deserves a better fate than to be a weapon in the hands of external forces working against Russia,” Putin’s words are quoted by Sky News Arabia.

Another important point in the Kremlin’s demands is the official recognition of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions as part of Russia. Such demands were separately recorded in a memorandum handed over to Ukraine at the second round of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.

At the same time, the Ukrainian side in its peace proposals states that a neutral status for Ukraine is not obligatory, and the country intends to continue its efforts to join the European Union. NATO membership depends on consensus within the alliance. Ukraine also demands that territories occupied by Russia since 2014 not be recognized by the international community. “Territorial issues can only be discussed after a full and unconditional ceasefire,” the Kyiv memorandum states.

In this situation, peace negotiations remain a complex and politically serious subject for both sides. Currently, it seems extremely difficult for Kyiv and Moscow to reach mutual agreement on long-term stability and territorial issues. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!