Vladimir Putin has demanded that Ukraine withdraw its troops from areas Russia claims and abandon plans to join NATO before Russia will agree to a ceasefire.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky likened these demands to Hitler’s ultimatums and firmly rejected them, insisting that negotiations won’t happen until Russia leaves all Ukrainian territories, including Crimea.
Putin’s terms were announced as leaders from 90 countries prepared for a peace summit in Switzerland, which Russia wasn’t invited to. At the summit, Zelensky aims to rally international support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials and Western leaders dismissed Putin’s demands. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Putin has no right to dictate terms to Ukraine, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called the proposal insincere.
Analyst Tatiana Stanovaya suggested Putin’s demands were extreme and designed to undermine the peace conference. The summit’s goal is to discuss achieving a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine, based on international law.
Meanwhile, G7 leaders decided to use interest from $325 billion of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. This interest will help cover a $50 billion loan for Ukraine. Additionally, the US and Ukraine signed a 10-year security deal.
For more details, refer to BBC .
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c033eyyr20do