President of Russia Vladimir Putin confirmed today in a telephone conversation with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that his proposal for peace for Ukraine, made in June of last year, is still relevant. The proposal includes the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donbas and the south of the country, as well as Kyiv's refusal to join NATO.
"Russia's proposal is well known (...) Possible agreements should take into account the interests of the Russian Federation in the area of security, based on the realities on the ground, and what is most important, eliminate the root causes of the conflict," the Kremlin's statement said.
Putin recalled his statement "in June before the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," where he presented his new conditions for peace, which were rejected by Kyiv. He suggested that Ukraine withdraw its troops from Donbas and the south of the country, as well as refuse to join NATO, after which the Kremlin announced an indefinite cessation of hostilities and the start of negotiations on the resolution of the conflict.
For this reason, during today's conversation with Scholz, Putin emphasized that "the Russian side has never refused and remains open to the resumption of negotiations, initially interrupted by Kyiv," pointing to the negotiations at the end of March 2022 in Istanbul.
The official message emphasizes that the conversation between the two leaders was "detailed and frank." During the last speech at the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin noted that the main problem between Russia and Europe is the "deficit of trust."
He also recalled that he previously supported "good relations" with Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron, but they decided to interrupt contacts. Putin stated that he sees no possibility for "constructive relations" with Ukraine if this state ultimately does not refuse to join the Atlantic alliance.
He also stated that the future border with the neighboring country will depend on the wishes of the residents of the territories, which he called "historical." The talk was about the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, where in September 2022 Moscow organized illegal referendums, in which the population of the occupied areas supported unification with Russia.
President Putin expressed readiness last week for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, who stated that he intends to lay the groundwork for ending the war in Ukraine and hinted that he would stop supplying weapons to Kyiv.
