It is being reported this lunchtime that the Russian government is ready to end it’s invasion of Ukraine if Kyiv agrees to its terms. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Reuters news agency that Russia is ready to halt its military action “in a moment” if Kyiv meets its conditions.
According to The Telegraph this lunchtime:
The demands include:
- Ceasing all military action
- A change to the constitution to enshrine neutrality
- Acknowledgement of Crimea as Russian territory
- Recognition of Luhansk and Donetsk as independent
It is the most explicit Russian statement so far of the terms it wants to impose on Ukraine to halt what it calls its “special military operation”.
This morning, Ukraine said Russia is “manipulating” the West by claiming it will observe ceasefires to allow civilians to evacuate.
The Russian military has said it has opened six humanitarian corridors for civilians to leave major cities for Belarus and Russia, the Russian Defence Ministry claimed.
As yet, there has been no official response from the Ukrainian government to Russia’s demands.
However, it’s unlikely that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government will agree to drop plans for the country to join NATO, or give up Luhansk and Donetsk.
