Russia’s Foreign Ministry listed the conditions for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine

A peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine is possible only if its root causes are removed and the state returns to a neutral, non-aligned status.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said while commenting on Western plans to further militarize Kyiv.

She said Russia also insists on the “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine and on Kyiv respecting the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking citizens. Zakharova added that Ukraine’s authorities must also recognize the current “territorial realities” that, in her words, emerged after peoples exercised their right to self-determination.

According to the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Russia will achieve these goals either through diplomacy or as a result of the “special military operation.”

Zakharova also said Russia would treat any attempts by the United Kingdom and France to deploy troops or military bases in Ukraine as an intervention. She warned that European forces on Ukrainian territory would become legitimate military targets for the Russian army.

On January 6, a summit of the “coalition of the willing” was held in Paris, after which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron signed a declaration on deploying multinational forces in Ukraine after the conflict ends.