Putin Promises Immediate Ceasefire in Ukraine if Kyiv Meets Certain Conditions

 

On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin pledged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and the initiation of negotiations, provided that Kyiv withdraws its troops from the four occupied Ukrainian regions and abandons its plans to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), according to an AP report.

"We will do it immediately," Putin stated in a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow.

Putin's comments come as the G7 summit takes place in Italy, where leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized nations are convening. The 71-year-old Russian leader made his remarks on the eve of a summit in Switzerland, where over 90 countries and organizations are set to discuss potential paths toward peace in Ukraine, a country embroiled in conflict since 2022.

Notably, Russia has not been invited to this summit and has dismissed the gathering as a "waste of time." Currently, Russia controls nearly a fifth of Ukrainian territory as the war enters its third year. Kyiv has maintained that peace can only be achieved through the complete withdrawal of Russian forces and the restoration of its territorial integrity.

Earlier in the day, Putin explained that his troops' advance toward Kyiv two years ago aimed to pressure Ukraine into agreeing to a peace deal, asserting that there was no intention to storm the capital.

Ukraine and the West's Perspective

Ukraine and Western nations have accused Russia of attempting to capture Kyiv and install a pro-Russian government, only to be repelled by fierce resistance.

‘No Need to Use Nuclear Weapons,’ Says Putin

On June 8, Putin ruled out the use of nuclear weapons to win the war in Ukraine. "The use is possible in an exceptional case - in the event of a threat to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country. I don't think that such a case has come. There is no such need," Reuters quoted the Russian leader as saying.