Russia’s President Vladimir Putin on Friday offered to halt his invasion of Ukraine would stop if Kyiv gives up on its bid to join NATO and withdraws troops from four regions occupied by Russia since the war began.
Russia’s Putin said he would “immediately” order a ceasefire in Ukraine if Kyiv started withdrawing troops from four regions occupied and forcibly annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounced plans to join NATO.
In a speech made at the Russian foreign ministry on Friday, Putin said his proposal would be a “final resolution” to the conflict rather than “freezing it.” He stressed that the Kremlin was “ready to start negotiations without delay”.
“We will do it immediately,” the Kremlin leader said, adding that the proposal would restore „unity” between the two warring nations and Europe more broadly.
But Ukrainian government advisor Mykhailo Podolyak slammed the proposal on social media, saying „there is no new ‘peace proposal’ from Russia” while describing the demands as a „complete sham”.
„Its content is … highly offensive to international law and speaks absolutely eloquently about the incapacity of the current Russian leadership to adequately assess realities,” he said in a post in X.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also rejected Putin’s offer during a press conference in Brussels, saying ti was not made in „good faith.”
„It’s not for Ukraine to withdraw forces from Ukrainian territory,” he said on Friday. „It’s for Russia to withdraw their forces from occupied Ukrainian land.”
Ukraine wants to join the military alliance’s 32-member military alliance and has demanded that Russia withdraw its troops from all territories.
G7 leaders meeting in Italy agreed to provide a €46 billion loan package for Ukraine. Ukrainian President also signed a 10-year security agreement with his US President Joe Biden.
Switzerland will host world leaders this weekend, except from Russia, to try to figure out the first steps toward peace in Ukraine.
Romania opens crimes against humanity case for Russian invasion of Ukraine
