“Withdrawal of troops and recognition of the annexation of Crimea”: Reuters published the conditions put forward by Putin to end the war in Ukraine

Reuters, citing sources, has published a list of conditions put forward by Vladimir Putin for a possible end to the war in Ukraine.

The article appeared on the agency’s website.

Among these conditions are:

• a ceasefire before reaching a comprehensive agreement is ruled out,

• Ukraine must fully withdraw its forces from Donetsk and Luhansk regions, while Russia would freeze front lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. At the same time, Moscow is reportedly ready to return small areas of occupied territory in Sumy and Kharkiv regions,

• recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea,

• a ban on Ukraine joining NATO, with the possibility of discussing alternative security guarantees (Reuters notes that Putin is “open” to Ukraine receiving certain guarantees),

• official recognition of the Russian language status,

• free activity of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church,

• the lifting by Western countries of at least part of the sanctions on Russia.

Earlier, the newspaper The Telegraph, in an editorial, called the proposal by Putin and the U.S. president regarding territorial concessions “horrific,” but at the same time admitted it may be the best option available to Kyiv.