(Dan Tri) – A Russian official expressed his opinion on how to resolve the conflict in the context that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently proposed the possibility of peace negotiations.
Russian soldiers in Donetsk (Photo: Sputnik).
Avia Pro news site reported on April 1 that Boris Rogov, representative of the Russian Public Chamber, proposed starting the conflict resolution process by withdrawing Ukrainian troops from some southeastern areas controlled by Kiev.
According to Mr. Rogov, the main content of the negotiations should focus on demilitarization and de-Nazification of regions, establishing Russian as the state language, as well as organizing a free referendum.
In an interview with CBS last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested that it is not necessary to regain territory `solely by military means.`
According to RT news agency, this statement by Mr. Zelensky seems to signal that Ukraine no longer considers the restoration of 1991 borders a prerequisite for peace talks with Russia even as he continues to push for a peace formula.
At the end of 2022, after Russia annexed four provinces of Ukraine including Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, Zaporizhia, President Zelensky signed a decree banning all negotiations with the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
He also proposed a 10-point peace plan that included conditions requiring Russia to withdraw all troops, pay war compensation, and restore Ukraine’s 1991 territorial line, including the Crimean peninsula.
Moscow has repeatedly affirmed that it is always open to negotiations with Kiev, but on the condition that Ukraine must `accept the actual situation`.
On Ukraine’s side, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba suggested that Kiev could negotiate with Moscow after a peace conference organized by Switzerland.
Russia launched a special military campaign in Ukraine since the end of February last year with the goal of `demilitarization` and `de-Nazification` of the neighboring country.
The reality that Moscow is referring to is the annexation of territories including Zaporizhia, Kherson, Lugansk, and Donetsk into Russia last October and the annexation of the Crimea peninsula in 2014 after controversial referendums.
