Russia Demands Ukraine to Give up Four of Its Regions and Abandon NATO Aspirations

Russia is demanding Kyiv's withdrawal from four partially occupied regions and Ukraine's renunciation of intentions to join NATO.

This was stated by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, in an interview with Newsweek published on October 7.

“On 14 June, President Vladimir Putin listed prerequisites for the settlement as follows: complete AFU  withdrawal from the DPR , LPR , Zaporozhzhia and Kherson Oblasts ; recognition of territorial realities as enshrined in the Russian Constitution; neutral, non-bloc, non-nuclear status for Ukraine; its demilitarization and denazification; securing the rights, freedoms and interests of Russian-speaking citizens; and removal of all sanctions against Russia,” said Lavrov.

According to Lavrov, Kyiv responded to this statement with “an armed incursion into the Kursk Oblast on 6 August,” and called the US and other NATO countries Ukraine’s patrons who “seek to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.” 

He stated that Russia has no other choice but to continue its invasion of Ukraine.

“Under the circumstances, we have no choice but to continue our special military operation until the threats posed by Ukraine are removed,” he added.

In the interview, Lavrov referred to the Istanbul Agreements, initiated by the Russian and Ukrainian delegations on March 29, 2022, as the foundation for a peaceful resolution.

“They provide for Kyiv's refusal to join NATO and contain security guarantees for Ukraine while recognizing the realities on the ground at that moment. Needless to say, in over two years, these realities have considerably changed, including in legal terms,” the Russian Foreign Minister added.

One of Ukraine’s main conditions for the start of negotiations with Russia includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from all internationally recognized Ukrainian territory, including Crimea, which has been occupied since 2014.