- Category
- Latest news
Kremlin Reiterates Demand for Ukraine to Leave Donbas as Ceasefire Condition
- Authors
![Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk]( "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
Russia said Ukraine must withdraw its forces from its eastern Donbas region as a condition for any ceasefire, reinforcing Moscow’s maximalist demands as fighting continues, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state media outlet Interfax on December 29.
Peskov said that ending hostilities would require Ukrainian troops to leave Donbas “within its administrative borders,” according to Interfax.
Every article pushes back against disinformation. Your support keeps our team in the field.
When asked whether this meant transferring full control of the region to Russia, Peskov replied, “Of course. This is the withdrawal of the armed forces of the regime from Donbas beyond the administrative boundaries.”
Russian state media has called Ukrainian democratically elected government of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “Zelenskyy Regime” ever since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
When pressed on whether the demand also applies to the partially occupied Ukrainian southern regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, Peskov declined to elaborate, saying the Kremlin would not publicly discuss specific provisions of its position, Interfax reported.
Peskov also referenced remarks by US President Donald Trump, claiming Trump had warned Ukraine that it is “losing territory and will continue to lose it,” and suggested the situation could worsen over time.
He made the comments while responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call for Russia to present a concrete plan to end the war.
“Russia is thinking about ending the military conflict in the context of achieving its goals,” Peskov said, according to Interfax.
Previously, it was reported that Ukraine has a “different position” from Russia on the future of Luhansk and Donetsk regions, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, underscoring that questions of territory cannot be resolved without the consent of the Ukrainian people—even as peace talks move closer to completion.
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
