Russia has issued Ukraine with a list of conditions that it must follow to halt the invasion, the Kremlin spokesperson said on Monday.
The demands include Ukraine ceasing military action, changing its constitution to enshrine neutrality, acknowledging Crimea as Russian territory, and recognising the separatist republics of Donetsk and Lugansk as independent states.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine was aware of the conditions “and they were told that all this can be stopped in a moment”.
Mr Peskov said it was “not true” that Russia was demanding the capital Kyiv is handed over. He said: “We really are finishing the de-militarisation of Ukraine. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military action. They should stop their military action and then no one will shoot.”
Mr Peskov also said that Ukraine should make amendments to their constitution, which would “reject any aims to enter any bloc”.
He added: “We have also spoken about how they should recognise that Crimea is Russian territory and that they need to recognise that Donetsk and Lugansk are independent states. And that’s it. It will stop in a moment.”
The Kremlin’s comments come as negotiators from Ukraine and Russia prepare to meet on Monday for a third round of peace talks.
Advisor to the Head of the Office of the Ukrainian President, Mykhailo Podolyak, wrote on Twitter on Monday morning: “Negotiations with the Russian Federation. Third round. Beginning at 16:00 Kyiv time. Delegation unchanged...”
The second round of talks last Thursday ended with the two sides agreeing to set up humanitarian corridors to allow civilians to evacuate cities under siege.
However attempts to maintain the ceasefire failed this weekend, and civilians were shelled by Russian forces as they tried to flee the city of Irpin.
Dmitry Peskov said that, under the Russian demands, Ukraine will be “an independent state that will live as it wants, but under conditions of neutrality”. He added: “This is not us seizing Lugansk and Donetsk from Ukraine.”
Mr Peskov claimed that Lugansk and Donetsk don’t want to be part of Ukraine.
