Russia says ceasefire possible only after Ukrainian withdrawal from occupied regions

Peskov said President Volodymyr Zelenskyy “must order the Ukrainian Armed Forces to cease fire and leave the territory of Donbas and the territory of Russian regions.”

Following what Ukraine and most of the international community regard as illegitimate annexation decisions, Russia claims Ukraine’s Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts as part of the Russian Federation.

According to Peskov, once Ukrainian troops withdraw, a ceasefire would allegedly take effect and “the sides could calmly engage in negotiations.”

He also claimed the negotiations would be “very difficult” and involve “a large number of important details.”

When asked whether Ukrainian troops would also have to leave parts of Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts still controlled by Kyiv, Peskov referred journalists to a statement made by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in June 2024.

At that time, Putin said Russia’s conditions for a ceasefire included the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts, as well as Ukraine abandoning its ambitions to join NATO.