Putin voices Russia’s conditions for Ukraine peace talks

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that Russia would cease fire and enter peace talks if Ukraine dropped its NATO ambitions and withdrew its forces from four Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow, News.Az reports citing Reuters.

Putin said Russia was ready to guarantee the safe withdrawal of Ukrainian units in order to enable this to happen.

He was speaking on the eve of a summit in Switzerland where more than 90 countries and organizations are due to discuss a possible path toward peace in Ukraine. Russia has not been invited and says the gathering is a waste of time.

President Vladimir Putin also said that the West’s seizure of Russian sovereign assets was theft and would not go unpunished.

Putin, speaking at a meeting with Foreign Ministry officials, said the way the West had treated Moscow showed that “anyone” could be next and fall victim to a similar Western asset freeze.

News.Az