Putin outlines conditions for peace with Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin has laid out specific conditions for peace with Ukraine, emphasizing a new real peace proposal to Kyiv.

During a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Putin reiterated Russia's stance on ending the conflict rather than freezing it, TASS reports.

Putin's conditions reflect the agreements reached in Istanbul in March 2022, focusing on Ukraine's permanent neutrality and nuclear-free status. He also demanded the full cancellation of sanctions against Russia and the recognition of the new regions as Russian territory through international treaties.

"Our principled position is neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free status for Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification," Putin stated. He stressed the importance of fixing these agreements through international treaties and emphasized the cancellation of sanctions as a crucial condition.

Additionally, Putin called for the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas and "Novorossiya." The status of Crimea, Sevastopol, the "DPR," "LPR," and the Zaporizhzhya and Kherson regions as Russian territories must be enshrined in international treaties.

"We call for turning the tragic page of history and gradually restoring relations with Ukraine and Europe," Putin said.

He warned that if the West and Ukraine reject this peace offer, they will bear responsibility for the continued bloodshed.

Furthermore, he cautioned that the conditions in the war zone will continue to change unfavourably for the Kyiv regime if the offer is refused.