- Russia has again demanded that Ukraine withdraw from the Donbas region before any ceasefire or peace talks can begin
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must order troops to “cease fire” and leave territories Russia claims as its own
- Ukraine has firmly rejected Russia’s conditions, with Zelensky describing territorial concessions as surrender
Russia has renewed its firm conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, insisting that Kyiv must withdraw its troops from the eastern Donbas region before any ceasefire or full peace negotiations can begin.
The latest remarks came days after Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the conflict was “heading to an end,” though he did not provide further details on how that might happen.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, May 13, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine would need to halt military operations and pull its forces out of territories Russia now claims as its own.
“In order for there to be a ceasefire and a window for full-scale peace talks to open… President Zelensky must give the order for Ukraine’s army to cease fire and to leave the territory of the Donbas, to leave the Russian regions,” Peskov said during a conference call attended by AFP journalists.
Russia currently controls roughly 20 percent of Ukrainian territory, including the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow annexed in 2014.
It also occupies most of the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, collectively known as the Donbas, as well as significant portions of the southern Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.
Moscow considers all five territories part of Russia following referendums that were widely condemned by much of the international community as illegitimate.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly rejected Russia’s demands, arguing that surrendering the occupied territories would amount to capitulation.
The war, which escalated dramatically after Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives and displacing millions.
Efforts led by the United States to broker peace have made limited progress since February, particularly after Washington shifted attention toward tensions involving Iran.
Pakistan hosts crucial US-Iran talks as Israel-Lebanon conflict threatens ceasefire
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Pakistan was set to host high-stakes talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad, but uncertainty loomed over Tehran’s participation following deadly Israeli strikes on Lebanon that threaten the fragile ceasefire.
The negotiations, expected to address critical issues such as Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme and the free flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, come at a time of rising regional tension.