"As soon as Kyiv (...) begins the effective withdrawal of troops [from the regions of Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporijia], and as soon as it notifies that it is abandoning its plans to join NATO, we will immediately, at this very moment , the order to ceasefire and begin negotiations," Putin told Russian Foreign Ministry officials.
These demands constitute a de facto demand for the surrender of Ukraine, the objective of which is to maintain its territorial integrity and sovereignty, through the departure of all Russian troops from its territory, in addition to Kyiv intending to join the military alliance.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on Putin's proposal.
Putin said his proposal aims for a "final resolution" of the conflict in Ukraine, rather than "freezing" it, and stressed that the Kremlin is "ready to begin negotiations without delay."
The Russian leader listed broader demands for peace as Ukraine's non-nuclear status, restrictions on its military strength and protection of the interests of the country's Russian-speaking population. All these demands should be part of "fundamental international agreements" and all Western sanctions against Russia should be lifted, Putin said.
"We are urging that this tragic page in history be turned and begin to restore, step by step, unity between Russia and Ukraine and in Europe in general," he said.
These comments come when the leaders of the G7, the main industrialized countries, meet in Italy, in a meeting attended by the Ukrainian President, Vladimir Zelensky, and on the eve of the Peace Summit, organized by Switzerland, which will bring together dozens of world leaders - but not Moscow - to try to chart the first steps towards peace in Ukraine.
Putin criticized the Swiss initiative, considering it a "maneuver to divert everyone's attention" from those truly responsible for the conflict, which, in his opinion, are the West and the authorities in Kyiv.
"In this regard, I would like to emphasize that without Russia's participation and without an honest and responsible dialogue with us, it is impossible to achieve a peaceful solution in Ukraine and for the security of Europe in general", insisted the Russian President.
Putin's comments represented a rare occasion in which he clearly laid out his conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, but did not include any new demands. The Kremlin has previously said that Kyiv should recognize its territorial gains and give up its candidacy for NATO.
Vladimir Putin proclaimed the annexation of the four eastern and southern regions of Ukraine in September 2022, in addition to the annexation of Crimea in 2014.
The Russian leader specified that Ukraine must hand over all these territories to Russia, despite Moscow only partially occupying them.
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