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A spokesperson for Vladimir Putin has reiterated that the war in Ukraine could, in Moscow’s view, be ended “within 24 hours” — but only if Ukrainian forces withdraw from territories Russia claims as its own.
The statement, reported by Russian state media outlet Interfax, refers to regions of Ukraine that Russia illegally annexed in 2022 following widely condemned referendums that have not been internationally recognized.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, an immediate end to the conflict would be possible if Ukraine pulls its forces out of what Moscow calls “Russian regions,” referring to the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
These claims rest on Russia’s unilateral constitutional changes and annexation declarations made after the full-scale invasion, which are rejected by Ukraine and most of the international community.
Ukraine has consistently maintained that any peace process must be based on the restoration of its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have previously said there is a potential window for negotiations, but stressed that progress depends on sustained international pressure on Moscow and stronger sanctions.
Russian officials, however, continue to present withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from occupied territories as a precondition for any settlement, keeping positions far apart and negotiations stalled.
