Escalating Conflict: Putin Insists Kiev Withdraw from Four Regions, Reject NATO Membership
Russian forces should completely vacate the People's Republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, according to a speech by Russia's top leader on television to military commanders at the Russian Foreign Ministry. Russia seeks a "neutral, non-aligned, non-nuclear status for Ukraine, its demilitarization and de-Nazification," he continued.
Following the Russian invasion in 2022, these regions in southern and eastern Ukraine were annexed by Russia. Nevertheless, the capitals of Kherson and Zaporizhia are still under Ukrainian control.
Putin declared on Friday that Russia could grant Ukraine sovereignty over the southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia, provided that Russia maintains a strong land connection to Crimea. Analysts have speculated for some time that Russia seeks to control a "land bridge" from its own territory to the southern coast of Ukraine and onward to the Crimean Peninsula.
Kiev swiftly dismissed Moscow's conditions. Mychailo Podoljak, a Ukrainian presidential advisor, wrote in an online service, "There's nothing new, no sincere peace proposals, and no desire to end the hostilities." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented to Italian broadcaster Sky TG24 on the sidelines of the G7 summit about an "ultimatum" and likened Putin's actions to those of Adolf Hitler during World War II.
Zelenskyy stated, "Putin wants us to relinquish part of our occupied territory." In Hitler's case, he said that Germany demanded a piece of Czechoslovakia, and in return, they would cease aggression, but he emphasized that this was a lie.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reasoned that Putin made these statements just before the upcoming peace summit in Switzerland because "Russia fears real peace."
NATO and the United States criticized Russia. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated after a defense ministers' meeting in Brussels that Moscow's proposed terms were "not a peace plan." "This is a proposal for increased aggression and occupation," he highlighted. Similarly, Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin stated. Putin has illegally occupied Ukrainian territory and cannot dictate to Ukraine what must be done to find a solution.
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated on Friday that rejection of Putin's demands would deny the Ukrainians "the genuine opportunity for peace."
In order for peace negotiations to even be considered, Ukraine has stated that Russia must fully withdraw its troops from its territory, including the 2014-annexed Crimean Peninsula. A ceasefire to Moscow's terms is seen by Kiev as a chance for Russia to reorganize its troops and prepare for another attack and the takeover of the entire country.
Over the weekend, representatives from around 90 countries and organizations will gather in Switzerland for a peace meeting regarding Ukraine. Zelenskyy reportedly arrived at the venue on Friday evening. The two-day talks with global representatives aim to "bring about a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," according to an online media post by Zelenskyy.
Putin was not invited to the summit, and he declared on Friday that the meeting was intended to divert attention from the true instigators of the conflict.
In the early hours of Friday, Ukraine and Russia clashed again, with numerous drones and rockets being launched at each other. The eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk came under heavy fire. At least nine people were injured in Ukraine, and a fuel depot was damaged in the Russian border region of Voronezh, according to official reports.
Russia has almost every night been launching massive drone and rocket attacks on cities in Ukraine. In recent weeks, Ukraine has intensified its attacks on targets in Russia, focusing primarily on energy infrastructure facilities.
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- Despite Putin's call for Kiev to withdraw from four regions and renounce NATO membership, Switzerland remains a neutral country and is not involved in the Ukraine war.
- Russian troops have been consistently launching drone and rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities, especially at night, according to official reports.
- In response to Putin's proposals, NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg declared in Brussels that Moscow's terms were not a peace plan but an increase in aggression and occupation.
- Analysts speculate that Russia's goal in controlling southern regions of Ukraine is to establish a "land bridge" connecting its territory to Crimea.
- Ukrainian President Zelenskyy compared Putin's actions during peace negotiations to Adolf Hitler's demands during World War II, describing them as a false pretext for aggression.
- The capitals of Kherson and Zaporizhia, despite being annexed by Russia in 2022, still remain under Ukrainian control, contrary to Putin's recent assertions.
- Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, argued that rejection of Putin's demands would deny the Ukrainians a genuine opportunity for peace.
- Kiev has emphasized that any peace negotiations require Russia to fully withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territories, including the Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
- The United States joined NATO in condemning Russia's proposed terms for Ukraine, with Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin affirming that Putin cannot dictate solutions for the conflict.
- Volodymyr Selenskyy, the Ukrainian President, will attend a peace summit in Switzerland aimed at achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, alongside representatives from around 90 countries and organizations.
- Russian forces attacked the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk in the early hours of Friday, causing injuries and damages, according to official reports.
- In an attempt to divert attention from the instigators of the conflict, Putin claimed that the peace summit in Switzerland was merely a distraction.
