The main thing is to eradicate the causes of the Ukrainian conflict, Putin told journalists following his meeting with Belorussian President Lukashenko.
The terms of the peace settlement include:
Ukraine’s commitment not to join military alliances
Non-nuclear status of Ukraine
Recognition of the DPR, LPR, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions as Russian territories
Lifting of sanctions on Moscow
The previous round of talks held in Istanbul aimed to advance the settlement process, with a high-level meeting expected to finalise the results of previous expert-level negotiations.
At the moment, Moscow and Kiev's approaches are diametrically opposed, and it is unlikely they can be reconciled overnight, he emphasised, stated Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
The talks were held in a closed format, with a private meeting between Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and Ukrainian National Security Council Secretary Rustem Umerov. One of the key issues addressed was the return of civilians captured by Ukrainian troops during their attack on Russia’s Kursk region. Despite these discussions, significant differences between the two sides remain.