Before the peace conference in Switzerland, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Friday that Russia would immediately cease fire and withdraw from Ukraine only if Ukraine drops its NATO ambitions and withdraws its forces from the four Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow.
Putin called for the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from all areas of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions in eastern and southern Ukraine for a peace talk.
“As soon as they declare in Kyiv that they are ready for such a decision and begin a real withdrawal of troops from these regions, and also officially announce the abandonment of their plans to join NATO – on our side, immediately, literally at the same minute, an order will follow to cease fire and begin negotiations,” he said.
“I repeat, we will do this immediately. Naturally, we will simultaneously guarantee the unhindered and safe withdrawal of Ukrainian units and formations.”
Meanwhile, Ukraine has stated that peace talks cannot be possible until the full withdrawal of Russian forces and the restoration of its territorial integrity take place.
Notably, entering the third year of war, Russia acquired nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory.
The peace summit in Switzerland, which will be attended by representatives of more than 90 nations and organizations, did not invite Russia to participate.
