Russia will cease hostilities only after the withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the "occupied territories," stated Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to him, Moscow is ready to give a written promise not to attack Europe.
Russia will end the war against Ukraine only if the Ukrainian army withdraws from Donbas. This was stated at a press conference following his visit to Bishkek on Thursday, November 27, by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Ukrainian troops will leave the territories they occupy, and then the hostilities will cease. If they do not leave, we will achieve this by armed means," Putin said.
According to him, Moscow "wants to negotiate" with Kyiv, but "legally this is currently impossible." At the same time, Putin reiterated the thesis propagated by Russian propaganda that only the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has the right to extend its powers under martial law, not the president of the country. "It is pointless to sign documents with the Ukrainian leadership; they made a strategic mistake when they were afraid to go to elections," the Kremlin head pointed out.
What Ukrainian legislation says about the legitimacy of Zelensky as president
The five-year term of office of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky officially expired on May 20, 2024. However, holding presidential elections, as well as elections to the Verkhovna Rada and local self-government bodies under martial law is directly prohibited by Article 19 of the law "On the Legal Regime of Martial Law." In turn, the Constitution of Ukraine does not contain a direct prohibition on holding elections under martial law, but it also does not require them to be held. Article 108 of the Ukrainian Constitution stipulates that the president performs duties until a new head of state takes office.
Moscow on US and Ukraine negotiations
At the press conference in Bishkek, Vladimir Putin also noted that the results of the recent negotiations between the US and Ukraine in Geneva could serve as the basis for future agreements. According to him, the American side divided the proposed 28 points into four blocks and handed them over to Moscow. However, there are no final decisions yet.
Putin added that Russia is ready to "put on paper" a promise not to attack Europe. "For us, this sounds funny; we never intended to, but if they want to hear it from us, well, let’s fix it. No questions," he said.
According to Reuters, the initial US plan of 28 points, formed taking into account Russian proposals, was significantly reduced after consultations between Kyiv and Washington. Ukraine rejected three key demands from Moscow: limiting the number of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, renouncing NATO membership, and surrendering Donbas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky tried to discuss contentious issues with US President Donald Trump, but he ignored his statements about his readiness to come to Washington.
Expert assessments
According to Tatiana Stanovaya, founder of R.Politik, Putin has no incentives to revise his goals. "He feels more confident than ever regarding the situation on the battlefield and is convinced that he can wait until Kyiv finally recognizes that it cannot win and must negotiate on Russia's known terms," she believes.
Former employee of the Russian mission to the UN Boris Bondarev told ABC News that the Kremlin will reject even an updated "peace plan." According to him, the initial version was "not fully acceptable" to Putin, while the updated one is "even less acceptable." Bondarev suggests that the new round of negotiations may end just like the previous ones due to disagreements on key issues.
Leave a comment