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Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised a ceasefire if Ukraine pulls out of the occupied territories and gives up its attempt to join NATO. Putin said he would “immediately” order a ceasefire in Ukraine and begin negotiations if Kiev begins withdrawing troops from four regions occupied by Moscow in 2022 and abandons plans to join NATO.
But such a deal seems pointless for Kiev, which wants to join the military alliance and has demanded that Russia withdraw its troops from all its territories. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Putin’s proposal.
Putin’s remarks come as G-7 leaders meet in Italy. Switzerland is preparing to host several world leaders this weekend to take the first steps toward peace in Ukraine.
Ready to negotiate without delay
Putin said his proposal is aimed at a “final solution” rather than “stabilizing” the conflict in Ukraine and stressed that the Kremlin is ready to start negotiations without delay.
The demands put forward by the Russian leader for peace include Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, a ban on its military force and protecting the interests of the Russian-speaking population in the country.
Putin said all these should become part of fundamental international agreements and all Western sanctions against Russia should be lifted.
He said we are urging to turn this sad page of history and restore unity step-by-step between Russia and Ukraine and in Europe in general. Putin’s remarks are being seen as an opportunity in which he clearly laid out his conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, but did not include any new demands.
Russia placed these conditions before Ukraine
The Kremlin has previously said that Kiev should recognize its territorial gains and give up its demand to join NATO. Russia does not fully control any of the four regions it illegally occupied in 2022, but Putin insisted on Friday that Kiev should withdraw from them completely and essentially hand them over to Moscow within its administrative boundaries.
In Zaporizhzhia in the southeast, Russia still does not control the administrative capital of the region with a population of 700,000 people, and in the neighboring Kherson region Moscow will withdraw control of the largest city and capital of the same name, Kherson, in November 2022.
