Putin promises ceasefire if Ukraine abandons plan to join NATO: report
Putin said he would order a ceasefire “immediately” if Ukraine began withdrawing troops from four occupied regions and abandoned plans to join NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he would “immediately” order a ceasefire in Ukraine and start talks if Kiev abandons its plan to join NATO and begins withdrawing troops from four occupied Ukrainian regions, a report said.
“We will do it immediately,” Putin said in a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow. The Associated Press.
Putin said his proposal was aimed at a “final solution” to the conflict in Ukraine rather than “freezing it,” and stressed that the Kremlin was “ready to start negotiations without delay.”
Putin’s comments come as leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) are meeting in Italy and Switzerland is preparing to host a number of world leaders this weekend to decide on the first steps towards peace in Ukraine, but Russia will not be part of the meetings.
Their other demands include Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, a ban on its military force and protection of the interests of the Russian-speaking population in the country. Putin was quoted as saying that all these should become part of “fundamental international agreements” and that all Western sanctions against Russia should be lifted.
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