The Kremlin Is Afraid Of It: Ukrainian Military Put Forward The Condition Of Direct Negotiations With Russia
12- 12.05.2025, 14:47
- 26,922
Reuters revealed the details.
The Ukrainian military is convinced that no negotiations can be held with Russia until its troops are fully withdrawn, writes Reuters.
After a three-day ceasefire declared by Russia over the weekend, which was accompanied by shelling and offensives, some Ukrainian fighters holding defenses on the front lines conveyed a clear message to President Vladimir Zelensky: do not sit down at the negotiating table until the enemy leaves Ukrainian soil.
Less than an hour after the formal silence ended, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered to start direct talks with Ukraine. Zelensky responded by saying that this was only possible on the condition of an unconditional month-long cease-fire, which is due to start on Monday.
One of the National Guard soldiers, a commander of a drone unit with the call sign "Chepa," preparing drones to record Russian troop activity after the declared "silence" ends, is convinced that negotiations are possible only after Russian forces fully withdraw to the borders defined in 1991:
"As a soldier and a citizen of Ukraine, I believe that before we sit down at the negotiating table, we should return to the 1991 borders. That's it. A complete withdrawal of all troops from the territory of Ukraine. Then, when we can talk. Whatever he (Putin) thinks, to seize certain regions or to divide territories, no one gave him the right to do that."
This opinion is supported by other servicemen from his unit.
Today, Russia holds about 20 percent of Ukraine's territory and insists that Kiev must recognize "the reality on the ground." At the same time, according to Zelensky, some of the temporarily occupied lands can be returned diplomatically, but official recognition of the annexation is impossible due to the provisions of the Ukrainian Constitution. Discussion of territorial issues, the president emphasized, is possible only after the establishment of a ceasefire.
Putin, during a late-night press conference, called for a return to negotiations on the basis of a document concluded in 2022, which provides for Ukraine's permanent neutral status. This directly contradicts the Constitution, which enshrines the aspiration for full NATO membership from 2019.
On Saturday, Ukraine's position was supported by leading European states - the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland advocated an unconditional ceasefire, which is due to begin on Monday.
In practice, however, the Russian "silence" turned out to be a sham. According to Chepa, his unit has seen no reduction in the intensity of the fighting:
"Yes, we need negotiations. But he (Putin) is afraid of negotiations. We have not seen a single ceasefire, there have been continuous attacks from howitzers, rocket launchers, they used everything. We have not experienced a single ceasefire."
Even after the formal ceasefire ended on Sunday night, Russian forces remained active. Chepa reconnaissance drones recorded the movement of equipment near one of the frontline villages:
"There's a lot of movement of both military and civilian equipment. It is interesting that there is a civilian vehicle standing so close to the contact line. Note that it is not damaged. Apparently they are making good use of it."
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