On Eve of Summit on Peace for Ukraine, Putin Demands Ukrainian Withdrawal from Occupied Regions of Ukraine

On June 14th, Russian self-proclaimed president Vladimir Putin addressed a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presenting his conditions for ending the war in Ukraine. This meeting took place just ahead of the Summit on Peace for Ukraine in Switzerland, where Ukraine’s demands will be under discussion. Russian representatives will not attend the summit.

Here are Putin’s main demands:

1. Ukraine must declare a full withdrawal of its troops from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions and begin actual troop withdrawals. This condition is essential for any ceasefire and the start of negotiations. The focus is on territories within the administrative boundaries of these regions, not just those currently occupied by Russian forces.

2. Ukraine must officially announce its abandonment of plans to join NATO.

3. Ukraine must recognize Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions as territories of the Russian Federation.

4. All of these agreements must be formalized through international treaties.

5. Western sanctions against Russia must be lifted.

Putin stated that this would not be a freeze of the conflict but its “final resolution.” He referred to his plan as a “real peace proposal.”

“As soon as Kyiv declares readiness and begins the actual withdrawal of forces, as well as announces refusal to join NATO, we will immediately order to cease fire and start negotiations.”

“If Kyiv and Western capitals refuse, then this is their business, their political and moral responsibility for the continuation of bloodshed,” Putin said. He added that if the “conflict” continues, the realities on the ground will change, and “the conditions for negotiations will be different.”

Putin added that if Ukraine and Western countries reject such an offer, they will bear responsibility for prolonging the conflict.

Some other statements of the self-proclaimed president Putin:

• War Origins: Russia maintains that it did not initiate the war in Ukraine. Instead, it accuses Kyiv of starting hostilities against citizens who declared their independence.

• Independence Recognition: The statement asserts that Kyiv was preparing an attack on “Novorossiya” and Donbas, which prompted Russia to recognize their independence.

• Bucha Provocation: According to Russia, the events in Bucha were orchestrated by Ukraine to justify breaking agreements with Russia.

• Troops Near Kyiv: While Russian troops were positioned near Kyiv, the statement claims there were no plans to storm the Ukrainian capital.

• Zelenskyy’s Legitimacy: The statement argues that the legitimacy of President Zelenskyy cannot be restored by any means.

• European Security: Russia contends that the real threat to Europe is not from Russia, but from total dependence on the United States.