Putin: Kyiv does not want a ceasefire because it has lost the pretext for martial law
The withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from new regions of Russia is one of the conditions for ending the conflict. Moscow’s demand was once again outlined by Russian leader Vladimir Putin at a press conference following talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. He also explained Kiev’s reluctance to agree to a ceasefire by the fact that in that case, martial law would have to be lifted in Ukraine and elections would have to be held.
The head of state emphasized that Russia is in favor of a complete and final end to the conflict, but there are a number of conditions for this. One of them is the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions.
Putin recalled that he had outlined the remaining points during his speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In particular, Ukraine must abandon the idea of joining NATO, and the neutral and non-nuclear status of Kyiv is also a fundamental position of the negotiations.
Zelensky refused to cease fire
Before the talks with Putin, Orban also visited Kiev. During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 2, he suggested that he consider a ceasefire before peace talks. Zelensky later said that he had rejected the offer. He also indicated that a ceasefire agreement between Kiev and Moscow could only be reached on an “internationally understandable platform” in the presence of countries whose leaders the Ukrainian authorities trust.
Commenting on Zelensky’s decision, Putin explained that the refusal to cease fire is connected with the intention of the Ukrainian leadership to retain power in the country under the pretext of extending martial law.
And if martial law has to be lifted, then elections will have to be held, which never took place on time. The chances of winning them for the Ukrainian rulers, who have lost their ratings and legitimacy, are close to zero.
The Russian leader added that, based on what he heard during negotiations with Orban, Ukraine still intends to fight “to the bitter end.”
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Orban admitted that Russia and Ukraine’s positions on ending the conflict are far apart
Following the talks with the Russian president, the Hungarian prime minister realized the distance between Russia and Ukraine. “A lot needs to be done to get closer to resolving the Ukrainian crisis,” the politician noted. Orban also assured that after his visits to Kyiv and Moscow, he would continue his course toward resolving the Ukrainian conflict.
Putin’s press secretary Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, said that Russia highly appreciates the Hungarian prime minister’s desire to hear and compare the positions of both Kyiv and Moscow on the conflict in Ukraine. Orban himself, in turn, pointed out that Hungary will soon become the only country in Europe that will be able to conduct a dialogue with both sides.
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