Russia Withdrew Troops from Near Kyiv at Ukraine's Request, Says Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has stated that Russia withdrew its troops from near Kyiv at Ukraine's request. During a meeting with the heads of African country delegations, he noted that this was done to create conditions for concluding a peace treaty, but the Ukrainian side refused the previous agreements, reports News.ru.

“After our troops were withdrawn from near Kyiv, we were asked to do this to create conditions for the conclusion of a final agreement, but the Kyiv authorities refused all previous agreements,” Putin said.

The head of state reminded that Ukraine gained independence based on the Act of Independence during the collapse of the USSR. According to him, the document states that the country is a neutral state, which is fundamentally important for the Russian Federation.

Putin emphasized that NATO's admission of Ukraine by the West poses a fundamental threat to Russia's security, as the North Atlantic Alliance, practically hostile towards Moscow, advancing towards Russian borders is unacceptable.