The Russian foreign spokeswoman, María Zajárova, points out that there is some progress in the negotiations and that Moscow expects more significant steps in the next rounds of contacts
War Ukraine – Russia, live | Breaking news on Putin, Chernobyl and the attack on Kyiv

Let Ukraine become a neutral state again. That is Russia’s goal, and not to overthrow the Kyiv government, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zajárova said on Wednesday.

The diplomat assured that the tasks of the “special military operation”, as it is officially called in Moscow, “do not include the occupation of Ukraine, nor the destruction of its statehood, nor the overthrow of the current power”. And “it is not directed against the civilian population,” Zajárova asserted.

It is better for Ukraine to regain a neutral status “through peace negotiations”, says Zakharova

Russia has sent tens of thousands of troops to neighboring Ukraine. The conflict has caused two million people to flee the country, according to UN estimates, in addition to hundreds of deaths, many of them civilians.

Zajárova recalled yesterday that another objective of the Russian offensive is “the protection of the DPR and the RPL”, referring to the pro-Russian entities in eastern Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republics (DPR) and Luhansk (RPL). And also “the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, the elimination of the military threat (against) Russia, which comes from the Ukrainian territory having been assimilated by NATO countries, and the accumulation of weapons,” she noted.

According to the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Russia will fulfill its goal of returning Ukraine to a neutral status. “It is better that this happens as a result of the peace negotiations,” she said.

Russia recalls that Ukraine must recognize “de facto and de jure” that Crimea is Russian and Donetsk and Luhansk independent

Regarding the contacts between Russia and Ukraine, whose delegations have already met three times on the territory of neighboring Belarus, Zakharova assured that there is some progress, but that Moscow expects more significant steps in the next rounds of negotiations.

Russia recalled this Wednesday that it has non-negotiable demands.

Kremlin spokesman Dimitri Peskov reacted to a few words by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. He said on Tuesday that he is ready to talk with Russia about the Crimean

Peskov noted that on these issues the Russian position is “well known.” On Crimea, Peskov assured that “it is a Russian region, it must be recognized de facto and de jure.” And the same with the RPD and the RPL. Peskov assured that they are sovereign states, recognized by Russia. “This must also be recognized de facto and de jure,” he assured.

Last Monday, March 7, Peskov said in an interview with Reuters that Moscow is ready to “immediately” stop its military actions if Kyiv accepts its terms. The main requirement is that Ukraine change its Constitution to ensure that it will maintain its neutrality and not join NATO. At the moment, the Ukrainian Magna Carta states that the country’s

A day later, Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zalensky, said he had lost interest in continuing to apply for NATO membership because NATO was not ready to accept Ukraine and for fear of confrontation with Russia.

Shortly after, his adviser Mijaílo Podoliak added that in that case, Ukraine must obtain a clear set of security guarantees that replace the Budapest Memorandum, signed in 1994. Russia should be part of the new pact and commit to respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity.