An impossible deal? Ukraine must cede territories that Russia says should be annexed before any diplomatic negotiations, the Kremlin said Tuesday, responding to Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal to host a “world peace summit.”
“The Ukrainian side must take into account the realities that have developed on the ground,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during his daily press briefing.
“These realities are that the Russian Federation has new issues as a result of the referendums that have been held in these territories,” he added, calling any diplomatic advance “impossible as long as Kiev does not take these realities into account.”
No withdrawal of Russian troops
At the end of September, Russia demanded the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, in addition to Crimea annexed in 2014, without fully controlling them, a decision widely rejected by the international community.
Ukraine, for its part, demands that Russia withdraw its army and return all the territories it occupies.
Dmitry Peskov also said it was “out of the question” for Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine before Christmas, another request by President Volodymyr Zelensky made on Monday during a speech to the G7 countries meeting by video conference.
The Ukrainian president reiterated his 10-point peace plan presented in mid-November on Monday, which deals with the restoration of territorial integrity, the fate of prisoners and food security.
The Ukrainian army has been pushing back Russian troops for several months. In response, Moscow has mobilized 300,000 reservists to consolidate its lines and is carrying out attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure.
Source: BFM TV
