“Conditions are very simple”: Putin outlines demands for Ukraine ceasefire

President Vladimir Putin says that Russia would halt military operations and enter peace talks if Ukraine dropped its NATO ambitions and withdrew its forces from four Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow. On the eve of a peace conference in Switzerland to which Russia has not been invited, Putin set out a series of conditions wholly at odds with the terms demanded by Ukraine. Russia controls nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory in the third year of the conflict. Ukraine says peace can only be based on a full withdrawal of Russian forces and the restoration of its territorial integrity. The ceasefire proposal from Russian President Vladimir Putin is an ultimatum which cannot be trusted, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Friday. “These are ultimatum messages that are no different from messages from the past,“ the Ukrainian leader said. #Russia #Ukraine #Putin #war #Ukraine