By Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced his willingness to call an immediate ceasefire and enter peace negotiations with Ukraine, provided that Kyiv agrees to withdraw its troops from four regions currently occupied by Russian forces and abandons its plans to pursue NATO membership. The proposal, made during a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry, comes on the eve of a two-day peace conference in Switzerland dedicated to building a “road map” to peace in Ukraine.
However, Putin’s offer is likely to be rejected by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has consistently refused to consider any deal that would involve surrendering Ukrainian territory to Moscow. Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to Zelensky, dismissed Putin’s proposal as a “complete sham” and urged the international community to stop taking Russia’s “proposals” seriously.
In his speech, Putin also engaged in further sabre-rattling, claiming that Western leaders are pushing him towards “the point of no return” regarding a potential nuclear World War Three. He accused them of either not understanding the scale of the threat they are creating or being obsessed with their own sense of impunity and exceptionalism, warning that both could lead to tragedy.
Putin’s remarks come as G7 leaders meet in Italy and Switzerland prepares to host scores of world leaders for a peace conference in Lucerne. The Russian leader stated that he does not want to “freeze” the conflict and instead seeks a final resolution that would end hostilities. His broader demands for peace include Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, restrictions on its military force, and protecting the interests of the Russian-speaking population in the country.
The developments follow the G7 countries finalizing a deal to raise approximately $50 billion for Ukraine, partially from seized Russian assets. The Kremlin has vowed an “extremely painful” retaliation in response to what it calls a “cynical and criminal” agreement.
Ukraine and the United States also signed a key security agreement that will see Washington provide ten years of military and financial support for Kyiv, with President Joe Biden declaring that Putin “cannot wait us out, he cannot divide us.
As world leaders gather in Switzerland for the much-anticipated Ukraine peace summit, Zelensky is expected to use the talks to build support for Ukraine’s position on three key themes: food security, nuclear safety, and the release of all prisoners and deportees. While Russia has characterized the conference as pointless without Moscow’s presence, Switzerland maintains that the talks should “define a roadmap” on how to involve both Russia and Ukraine in the future.
Credit: Dailymail
