Putin Vows Truce Once Ukraine Exits Moscow-Held Areas

Russian President Vladimir Putin has pledged to "immediately" order a ceasefire in Ukraine and commence negotiations if Kyiv withdraws its troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and abandons its plans to join NATO, reported by Dasha Litvinova for the Associated Press.

Putin made the remarks during a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow. I Photo: GCIS / Government ZA Flickr

Putin made these remarks during a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow.

However, the proposal seems highly unlikely to be accepted by Kyiv, which remains committed to joining NATO and has demanded the withdrawal of Russian troops from all Ukrainian territories.

As of now, there has been no immediate response from Ukraine regarding Putin's proposal.

"We will do it immediately," Putin declared, emphasizing his readiness to seek a "final resolution" to the conflict in Ukraine rather than merely "freezing it."

His comments coincided with the meeting of leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) in Italy and an upcoming summit in Switzerland, which aims to explore initial steps toward peace in Ukraine, albeit without Moscow's participation.

In a related development, the United States and Ukraine signed a 10-year security agreement this week, marking a significant milestone in their bilateral relations.

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, with major battles primarily concentrated in the southern and eastern regions, where Russia has annexed territories but does not exert full control over any of them.

Putin's truce proposal comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts and international discussions aimed at resolving the conflict, but its acceptance by Ukraine remains doubtful given the preconditions set by Russia.