Putin calls Ukrainian peace proposals “exotic and unacceptable”

Vladimir Putin confirmed that Russia had received peace settlement proposals from Ukraine but rejected them as “at times exotic and unacceptable.”

The Russian leader made the statement on Pavel Zarubin’s program “Moscow. Kremlin. Putin.”

Putin also said that Russia had stepped up strikes on Ukrainian enterprises in response to Ukrainian Armed Forces attacks on targets on Russian territory. According to him, Russian strikes are “more destructive” and are proving painful for Kyiv.

Speaking about strikes on civilian infrastructure, Putin said he sees “catastrophic trends” for the Ukrainian authorities and accused Kyiv of having “let the genie out of the bottle” itself by beginning attacks on civilian targets in Russia — apparently referring to oil refineries and Wildberries warehouses.

“[Kyiv’s] goal is to damage our economy. What has it done? It has opened this Pandora’s box itself. Well then, receive a response against your most sensitive economic sectors, which, frankly speaking, are already barely breathing. This, incidentally, also applies to agricultural production, from the export of which the Kyiv regime derives its main revenues,” — Putin said.

Earlier, the Office of the President of Ukraine reported that it was proposing three types of ceasefire to Russia — in the air, on energy, and along the front line. Moscow, for its part, demands the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territory of Donbas as a condition for ending hostilities.