By Updater
Vladimir Putin has set out what he said were Russia’s preconditions for starting peace talks with Ukraine.
He said Russia would be ready for such talks “tomorrow” if Ukrainian troops withdraw from the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions and if Ukraine gave up its plans to join NATO.
If Ukraine agreed to those conditions, he said Russia would cease fire and start negotiations.”Conditions are very simple,” he said.
He continued: “As soon as Kyiv says they’re ready for such a decision and start the real withdrawal of forces from these regions and officially declare rejection of plans to join NATO, from our side, immediately, literally the same minute, will come an order to stop the fire and start negotiations.
“We will do it immediately. Obviously, we will guarantee the uninterrupted and safe withdrawal of Ukrainian forces.”
It should be noted that Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to liberate all occupied regions from Russian control – and himself said all Russian forces must leave Ukraine as a condition for any peace deal.
Mr Putin has also said that his army’s advance towards the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in 2022 was aimed at forcing Ukraine to agree to a peace deal.
He claimed there was no intention of storming Kyiv.