Zakharova called the lifting of sanctions against Russia an essential condition for peace in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is possible with the abolition of all “illegal sanctions” and claims against Russia in international courts. This is how she commented on the statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba on the importance of promoting the “peace formula” of President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Zelensky’s so-called ‘peace formula’ has nothing to do with peace. This is nothing but a set of ultimatum demands on our country, divorced from reality,” said Maria Zakharova, her response is given on site Russian Foreign Ministry.

Referring to Dmitry Kuleba’s post, she noted that the minister does not offer to sit down at the negotiating table. According to her, the Russian side has repeatedly declared its readiness “for serious proposals from the West and Ukraine”, but rejects the language of ultimatums.

Among the demands of the Russian side, she mentioned the cessation of arms supplies to Ukraine, the international recognition of new territorial realities. “An integral part should be the abolition of all illegal sanctions and lawsuits against Russia in international courts,” the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry emphasized.

Ms. Zakharova argues that the position of the Ukrainian authorities would matter if they maintained their independence from the United States. “The Kiev regime has long been a tool of the US and other NATO countries in the fight against Russia. And they are not at all interested in a peaceful settlement in Ukraine,” she said.

In October 2022, Vladimir Zelensky signed a decree excluding the possibility of further negotiations with the President of Russia, as long as Vladimir Putin remains the President. However, in November, the Ukrainian president at the G20 summit listed ten conditions of the “peace formula”. Among them: the restoration of the territorial integrity of Ukraine within the 1991 borders and the withdrawal of Russian troops.

Moscow insists on recognizing the annexed regions as Russian. Volodymyr Zelensky assured that he would not make territorial concessions, because otherwise Ukraine would not be able to provide guarantees for the security of its state. On March 13, the Kremlin stated that “there are no prerequisites for the situation to move to a peaceful direction,” and the goals of a special military operation can be achieved only by military means.

Follow the consequences of the military operation in Ukraine in the Kommersant online broadcast.

Lusine Balasyan