Putin rules out 'gray zones' in Ukraine, says there will be no lasting peace
Photo: Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russia opposes maintaining “gray zones.” For the Kremlin, there is only one line of demarcation with Ukraine – the state border, said Russian president Vladimir Putin at a meeting with US President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, in Moscow.
“There is only one line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine – the state border,” Putin said.
According to him, Russia knows that Ukrainians have raised the “gray zones” during negotiations.
“Maintaining ‘gray zones’ will lead to instability in any agreements, and there will be no lasting peace,” the Russian leader said.
Today, November 12, US President's special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Putin in Moscow. The topic of their talks was the outcome of the trilateral meeting in Abu Dhabi on ending the war in Ukraine.
According to RBC-Ukraine sources, on the second day of the talks in Abu Dhabi, the Russian delegation refused to discuss a ceasefire, territorial issues, energy, and security in the Black Sea.
The focus of the discussions shifted to the future security architecture of Europe, while the war against Ukraine took a back seat.
Ukrainian delegation member David Arakhamia also acknowledged that the negotiations were tough because of the directives the Russians arrived with.
He said discussions about the postwar future helped establish dialogue, and there is good momentum toward finding a solution before the beginning of next year.
Meanwhile, during the talks in Abu Dhabi, the Russian delegation clearly and categorically reiterated Moscow's unchanged demands for Ukraine's full capitulation and territorial concessions extending far beyond Donbas.
