Kremlin outlines ultimatum for Ukraine peace negotiations involving US
Photo: Yuri Ushakov (Getty Images)
Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said that trilateral peace talks are "inappropriate" until Ukraine withdraws its troops from the part of Donbas it controls, according to the Russian Interfax news agency and a statement by the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko.
"Everyone understands, including, I would say, the Ukrainian negotiators, that right now Kyiv needs to take only one serious step, after which, first, hostilities will be halted, and second, prospects will open for a serious discussion of the prospects for a long-term settlement," Ushakov said.
The aide to the Kremlin leader added that "this step is now expected from Kyiv, in particular from Zelenskyy (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, – ed.)," calling everything else a "waste of time."
Kovalenko stressed that Ushakov’s statement shows Russia’s acknowledgment that it does not intend to end the war, since Ukraine refuses to withdraw from its own territory.
"Which is what had to be proven — they never wanted peace, only an attempt to gain a foothold for a further offensive without a fight. Ukraine has clearly stated that it will not leave its own land. Putin’s regime apparently cannot imagine its existence without war," he said.
Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia
This year, Ukraine has already held several rounds of talks with the aggressor country and the United States.
The parties failed to agree on a ceasefire itself, as Russia demands that Ukraine surrender the unoccupied part of Donbas, which Kyiv rejects.
Earlier, the head of the Presidential Office, Kyrylo Budanov, said that Ukraine has a certain decision regarding Donbas that would allow it to protect national interests. He added that the territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions will not become a subject of bargaining, and any steps in this direction will primarily serve the interests of Ukrainians.
Recently, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is ready to meet the Russian leader if the presidents of the United States and Türkiye also take part in the talks.
It is also worth noting that at the beginning of April, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that his country is ready to host the next round of peace talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia.
