The Kremlin has rejected Zelensky’s peace proposal and ruled out a troop withdrawal by Christmas

The The Kremlin Exclude this Tuesday The withdrawal of Russian forces This year, in response to the proposal of the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskywho invited Russia the day before to do so at Christmas.

“You can’t even talk about itRussian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at his daily press conference.

Zelensky said that on Monday Christmas and New Year is a time of “peace, not aggression.” “I suggest that Russia at least try to show that it is able to repel aggression,” he said in a remote message to the G7 leaders.

According to Zelensky,It would be right if this Christmas began with the withdrawal of Russian troops from the internationally recognized territory of UkraineThe President emphasized that with this step, Moscow “will ensure a credible cessation of hostilities.”

While, According to the Kremlin, Kyiv must first “accept reality” on the ground.

“These are the facts that happened because of the line, the policy that the Ukrainian leadership and the current Ukrainian regime have pursued over the past fifteen or even twenty years,” Peskov said.

He added that “these facts speak of the fact that the Russian Federation has new subjects as a result of the referendums held in the territories” of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson, which were annexed last September. “Without taking these new realities into account, any progress is impossible.The representative of the Russian presidency settled down.

At the end of September, Russia demanded the annexation of four Ukrainian regions, in addition to Crimea – which it annexed in 2014 – although not in full control of it. A decision mostly rejected by the international community.

On Monday, the Ukrainian president renewed his 10-point peace plan that he presented in mid-November, which deals with restoring territorial integrity, the fate of prisoners or food security. The proposed steps provide for the delivery of more weapons to Kyiv, the maintenance of economic and financial aid, and the use of diplomacy to liberate Ukrainian lands.

In this regard, Peskov said, “There are three steps to continue military operations.”

The Ukrainian military has pushed back Russian forces in recent months. In response, Moscow mobilized 300,000 reservists to reinforce its defensive lines and launch attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure.

(with info from EFE and AFP)

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