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On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined the prerequisites for initiating peace talks with Ukraine, marking over two years since Russia’s comprehensive invasion. As reported via a Google-translated Telegram post by the Russian state news agency Tass, Putin’s conditions demand that Ukrainian forces fully withdraw from the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. These territories were illegally annexed by Russia shortly after the conflict began in September 2022.
The Kremlin’s stipulations are expected to be strongly opposed in Kyiv, as Ukraine has consistently asserted that it will not cede any territory to Russia. During a meeting with senior officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry, President Putin declared that peace talks could commence “immediately” if Ukraine initiates a “genuine withdrawal of troops from these regions and formally abandons its plans to join NATO.” According to Google-translated remarks reported by Tass, Putin emphasized that upon meeting these conditions, Russia would issue an immediate order to cease fire and start negotiations.
Putin asserted that Moscow would facilitate the “unhindered and safe withdrawal” of Ukrainian forces should Kyiv accept these terms. However, he warned that if the peace offer is rejected, Russia’s future demands will differ. These remarks stand in sharp contrast to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s peace plan, which calls for the restoration of Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” as defined by the U.N. Charter. Zelenskyy’s 10-point plan, introduced in November 2022, also insists on the return of Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in February 2014, long before the current conflict began.
On Thursday, the leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) nations reached a preliminary agreement to extend $50 billion in loans to Kyiv. These loans will be secured by the profits from approximately 300 billion euros ($322 billion) worth of Russian central bank assets that have been frozen by Western nations. European Council President Charles Michel emphasized that “Russia has to pay.”
NATO is set to discuss additional support for Ukraine during its upcoming summit from July 9-11. Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg anticipates that member states will commit to a “long-term financial pledge” to sustain military aid for Kyiv. He also expects NATO to take a “leading role” in coordinating and providing security assistance to the war-torn nation.
In a significant policy shift, both the U.S. and Germany have relaxed certain restrictions on the weapons supplied to Ukraine. They now allow these weapons to be used against targets just across the border in Russia, specifically for the defense of Kharkiv.
