In a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry on Friday morning, June 14, President Putin presented conditions for bringing an end to the war in Ukraine.
Putin stated that he would initiate a ceasefire and commence peace negotiations immediately if Ukraine agrees to withdraw its troops from four regions currently occupied by Russian forces and renounces any plans to pursue NATO membership.
"We will call for an immediate ceasefire," Putin declared, emphasizing that his proposal aims at achieving a definitive resolution to the conflict, with the Kremlin ready to engage in negotiations promptly.
This announcement coincides with the eve of a two-day conference in Switzerland focused on constructing a roadmap to peace in Ukraine.
However, President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected any deal that would result in Ukrainian territory being ceded to Moscow.
Currently, Russian troops hold significant control over Donetsk and Luhansk, with Moscow having unilaterally declared their annexation in September 2022, along with parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Additionally, Russian forces are advancing in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
Moreover, during the same morning speech, President Putin warned that Western leaders are pushing the world dangerously close to a nuclear World War Three.
"We have reached an intolerable brink... Calls for delivering a strategic blow to Russia, a nation possessing the largest arsenal of nuclear weapons, reveal the extreme recklessness of Western politicians," Putin asserted.
He continued, expressing concern that Western leaders either fail to grasp the magnitude of the threat they pose or are consumed by their own hubris and exceptionalism, both of which could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Putin's remarks come as the G7 leaders gather in Italy and as Switzerland prepares to host numerous world leaders for its peace conference in Lucerne.
Rejecting the notion of merely freezing the conflict, Putin stressed his commitment to achieving a comprehensive resolution that brings hostilities to an end.
In addition to the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops and the abandonment of NATO aspirations, Putin outlined broader peace demands, including Ukraine's commitment to remain non-nuclear, limitations on its military capabilities, and safeguarding the interests of the Russian-speaking population within Ukraine.
"We urge the turning of this tragic page in history and the gradual restoration of unity between Russia and Ukraine, as well as in Europe as a whole," Putin concluded, clearly delineating his conditions for ending the war.
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