"Vladimir Putin stressed that a settlement is possible only if Russia's legitimate security interests are unconditionally taken into account, including the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the demilitarisation of the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status," according to a Kremlin readout of the call.
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During a conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin named three conditions for a peace settlement in Ukraine, including the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Kremlin's readout of the phone talks, Putin told Macron that Russia was “open to negotiations with representatives of Ukraine.”
Putin stressed, however, that a settlement was possible “only if Russia's legitimate security interests were unconditionally taken into account,” which includes “the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea, the fulfillment of the tasks of demilitarizing and denazifying the Ukrainian state and ensuring its neutral status.”
The Russian leader also said that his country’s forces have not threatened civilians and have not struck civilian objects.
“The threat comes from the Ukrainian nationalists, who use the civilian population as a human shield, deliberately place strike weapon systems in residential areas, and intensified shelling of the cities of Donbass,” the Kremlin said.