Narishkin Warns of Consequences if Kyiv Rejects Putin's Proposal

If Kyiv rejects the proposal put forward by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the next terms for a peace treaty will be more complex and tougher for Ukraine. This was stated by Sergey Narishkin, the Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, in an interview with TASS.

"The next conditions under which peace can be achieved and some kind of peace treaty signed will be more complicated and tougher for Ukraine," he said in response to a question about what would happen to Ukraine if the new peace proposal were rejected.

Recently, Putin presented the terms for starting negotiations with Kyiv and ceasing hostilities, which Kyiv has, however, rejected. According to Putin, Ukrainian troops must completely withdraw from the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, as well as from the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions within their administrative borders.

"As soon as the real withdrawal of Ukrainian troops begins, and Kyiv announces plans to abandon NATO membership, Moscow will issue an order to cease fire and start negotiations. Moreover, Russia guarantees the unhindered and safe withdrawal of Ukrainian units and formations from those areas. Today, Russia is presenting another real peace proposal, but if the West and Kyiv refuse, the responsibility for the bloodshed will lie with them," stated the Russian president.

At the same time, Putin emphasized that this is not about freezing the conflict, but about its ultimate resolution. "We call to turn the tragic page of history and gradually restore relations with Ukraine and Europe. The main agreements for peaceful settlement must be enshrined in international treaties. Naturally, the lifting of sanctions against Russia is also expected. The status of Crimea and Sevastopol, the DPR and LPR, as well as the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, must be enshrined in international treaties as part of Russia. Our principled position is Ukraine’s neutral, non-block, and non-nuclear status, its demilitarization and denazification," Putin concluded.