MOSCOW. President Vladimir Putin stipulated that Russia would only cease its military operations in Ukraine if Kyiv relinquished its NATO aspirations and ceded four contested provinces to Moscow on Friday. Kyiv promptly rejected these terms, equating them to a demand for surrender.
On the eve of an international conference in Switzerland, from which Russia is excluded, Putin’s firm stance highlights his belief in Russia’s upper hand in the ongoing conflict. He reiterated his unchanged demand for Ukraine’s demilitarization, echoing the conditions he set forth when he initiated the invasion on February 24, 2022. Additionally, Putin called for an end to Western sanctions and Ukraine’s “denazification,” a term Kyiv has consistently condemned as baseless propaganda.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak dismissed Putin’s demands, stating they would essentially force Ukraine to surrender and forfeit its sovereignty. “There is no possibility to find compromise on the basis of what Putin had proposed,” Podolyak told Reuters.
Putin’s address seems strategically timed to preempt the Swiss summit, branded a “peace conference” and intended to rally international support for Ukraine’s terms to conclude the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to advocate for Kyiv’s position at the gathering, which will host representatives from over 90 nations and organizations.
“The conditions are very simple,” Putin declared, demanding the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. These areas, partially controlled by Russian forces, were unilaterally claimed by Russia in 2022, a move condemned by most United Nations member states as illegal. Russia also annexed Crimea in 2014.
“As soon as they declare in Kyiv that they are ready for such a decision and begin a real withdrawal of troops from these regions, and also officially announce the abandonment of their plans to join NATO—on our side, immediately, literally at the same minute, an order will follow to cease fire and begin negotiations,” Putin stated.
He emphasized that Russia would guarantee the safe withdrawal of Ukrainian forces. However, Ukraine maintains that peace is only possible with the full withdrawal of Russian troops and the restoration of its territorial integrity.
The Swiss summit is expected to avoid territorial discussions, focusing instead on food security and nuclear safety in Ukraine. The Kremlin dismissed the event as “futile” without Russian participation.
Putin’s maximalist terms reflect his confidence in Moscow’s capacity to dictate the war’s outcome, given recent Russian military advances. He warned that Ukraine’s future existence hinges on its acceptance of neutrality and demilitarization, and suggested that Kyiv’s military situation would deteriorate if his offer were rejected.
“Today we are making another concrete, real peace proposal. If in Kyiv and in the Western capitals they refuse it as before, then, in the end, it is their business, their political and moral responsibility for the continuation of bloodshed,” Putin asserted.
Putin reiterated Russia’s stance on Ukraine’s neutral, non-aligned, and nuclear-free status. Ukraine and its allies have consistently rejected these demands, viewing them as a pretext for Russian territorial ambitions. Kyiv argues that demilitarization or neutrality would leave it vulnerable to further aggression.
The Russian leader also insisted that any peace arrangement would require the lifting of all Western sanctions against Russia. “I believe that Russia is offering an option that will make it possible to actually end the war in Ukraine,” Putin said.
This statement comes as the United States intensifies its sanctions on Russia, announces a 10-year security pact with Ukraine, and collaborates with G7 allies to use interest from frozen Russian assets to support a $50 billion loan to Kyiv. U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed the West’s commitment, saying, “You cannot wait us out. You cannot divide us.”
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
