Russia’s Putin outlines conditions for peace talks with Ukraine

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday set out the requirements for Moscow to start peace talks with Ukraine, more than two years after the Kremlin’s full-fledged invasion of its neighbor.

According to a Google-translated Telegram update from Russian state news outlet Tass, the terms include the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, which Russia illegally annexed within months of commencing hostilities, in September 2022.

Putin also called for a commitment that Ukraine will abandon its long-standing ambitions to join the West-led NATO military coalition — an aspiration that Moscow sees as incompatible with its own security interests.

Ukraine has repeatedly stated that it will not concede territory to Russia.

This breaking news story is being updated.