Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded this Monday that his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and the demilitarization of Ukraine as conditions to end the war in that country.
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Putin called for “the recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the demilitarization and ‘denazification’ of the Ukrainian state and the promise of its neutral status” as preliminary conditions for a resolution of the conflict, the Kremlin said in a statement after a telephone conversation between both leaders.
(Also: Putin: The leader’s neo-imperialist dreams that challenge the world order)
The Russian president stressed that the resolution of the conflict “was possible only if the legitimate security interests of Russia were taken into account without condition,” according to the Kremlin.
Both the talks and the conflict on the ground are marked by the threat launched on Sunday by Putin, who ordered the nuclear deterrent forces high alert.
(Due to the public interest that the events between Russia and Ukraine arouse, all our coverage of that invasion and related actions will have free access for all readers of EL TIEMPO)
(Don’t stop reading: Russia is hit by sanctions and faces financial collapse)
“The Russian side is open to negotiations with representatives of Ukraine and hopes that they will lead to the expected results,” the Russian presidency assured. Macron and
Putin was referring to the negotiations between Kiev and Moscow that took place on Monday in Belarus.
Before they began, the Kremlin had said it did not want to “announce” its position and Ukraine called for an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces. The negotiations took place as the Russian offensive, launched on February 24, faces resistance from the Ukrainian army. The Russian economy is also suffering from a barrage of sanctions as a result of the invasion.
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