Vladimir Putin lays out his terms for ceasefire in Ukraine
Vladimir Putin has stated that Ukraine must withdraw its troops from territories Russia claims to have annexed before any ceasefire can commence—a demand Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has compared to a “Hitler-like ultimatum.”
Zelensky has consistently asserted that Ukraine will not negotiate with Moscow until Russian forces vacate all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
Putin also mentioned that Ukraine would need to abandon its bid to join NATO before peace talks could begin.
Putin’s declaration of these ceasefire conditions comes as leaders from 90 countries are set to meet in Switzerland on Saturday to discuss potential paths to peace in Ukraine, a summit to which Russia has not been invited.
Speaking at a meeting with Russian ambassadors in Moscow on Friday, Putin urged the Ukrainian government to withdraw from four regions partially occupied by Russia: Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia.
Additionally, he stated that Ukraine must officially renounce its efforts to join the NATO military alliance to halt the Russian advance.
Mr Putin said: “As soon as Kyiv declares that it is ready for such a decision… an order to cease fire and begin negotiations will immediately follow from our side, literally at the same minute.”
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak called the proposal a “complete sham” and “offensive to common sense”.
Later on Friday, President Zelensky told Italy’s Sky TG24 television: “These messages are ultimatum messages. It’s the same thing Hitler did, when he said ‘give me a part of Czechoslovakia and it’ll end here’.”
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also dismissed the Russian demands, saying: “Putin has illegally occupied sovereign Ukrainian territory.
“He is not in any position to dictate to Ukraine what they must do to bring about a peace.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg dismissed Putin’s proposal as “not made in good faith.”
Russia analyst Tatiana Stanovaya described Putin’s demands as “maximalist,” offering no concessions and aimed at undermining the peace conference before it begins.
President Zelensky will attend the summit near Lake Lucerne on Saturday, aiming to demonstrate his continued international support.
The Swiss government stated that the summit’s goal is to provide a forum for world leaders to discuss paths towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on international law and the UN Charter.
Attendees will include US Vice-President Kamala Harris, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Russia was not invited, and China has indicated it will not attend without Russia’s presence.
The peace summit follows the G7 leaders’ agreement to use interest from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine in its fight against Russian forces.
Approximately $325bn (£256bn) worth of assets were frozen by G7 countries and the EU after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. These assets generate about $3bn annually in interest.
Under the G7 plan, this $3bn will be used to pay the annual interest on a $50bn loan for Ukraine, secured from international markets.
Although the funds are not expected to arrive until the end of the year, they are viewed as a long-term solution to support Ukraine’s war effort and economy.
Additionally, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, the US and Ukraine signed a 10-year bilateral security deal, which Kyiv hailed as “historic.”