Russia on Monday expressed readiness to negotiate with Ukraine but emphasized that recognition of Moscow’s claims over five Ukrainian regions, including Crimea, remains “imperative” for resolving the conflict.
Since initiating its offensive in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has captured large areas of four Ukrainian regions and laid claim to them, along with Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
Ukraine has consistently rejected the annexations, describing them as an illegal land grab, and vowed never to recognize them. European officials have warned that yielding to Moscow’s demands could establish a dangerous precedent encouraging future acts of aggression.
“The Russian side has repeatedly confirmed its readiness, as confirmed by the president, to begin negotiations with Ukraine without any preconditions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told state media on Monday.
But when asked if there were indeed preconditions that Russia required to sit down with Ukraine, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: “International recognition of Russia’s ownership of Crimea, Sevastopol, the Donetsk People’s Republic, the Lugansk People’s Republic, the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions is imperative.”
Lavrov’s remarks were made during an interview with the Brazilian newspaper O Globo, and later published by the Russian foreign ministry.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said earlier that he believed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was prepared to concede Crimea as part of a ceasefire agreement, as Washington described the ongoing truce talks as entering a “critical” week.
What you should know
Russia’s willingness to negotiate hinges on Ukraine recognizing its control over Crimea and other occupied regions—terms Ukraine has firmly rejected as illegal and unacceptable.
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