Today, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia demands that
- Ukraine changes its constitution to enshrine neutrality,
- Ukraine recognizes Crimea as Russian territory, and
- Ukraine recognizes breakaway Ukrainian republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states.
The official told Reuters that Russia had told Ukraine it was ready to stop its military action “in a moment” if Kiev complied with its conditions.
It was the most explicit Russian statement yet of the terms it wants to impose on Ukraine to stop what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine, now in its twelfth day. A third meeting is expected today to try to find a way out of the bloody incursion of the Russian army into its neighboring country.
The invasion has already claimed the lives of thousands of civilians, and the Kremlin seems willing to continue the slaughter if its claims are not heeded, which, according to Peskov, are known to Ukraine: “And they were told that all this it can be stopped in a moment.”
The Kremlin spokesman insisted that Russia is not seeking to make further territorial claims on the neighboring country.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov (Sputnik/Sergey Guneev/Kremlin via REUTERS)
Peskov said, “We are really finishing the demilitarization of Ukraine. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine cease its military action. They must stop their military action and then no one will shoot.”
“They should make amendments to their constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any goal of joining any bloc (referring to NATO). We have also talked about how they should recognize that Crimea is Russian territory, and that they should recognize that Donetsk and Luhansk are independent states. And that’s it. It will stop in a moment,” Peskov told Reuters.
The invasion launched on February 24 has caused Europe’s worst refugee crisis since World War II, and sparked outrage around the world.