At a meeting with the leadership of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the eve of the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, Russian President Vladimir Putin named four conditions for Moscow to negotiate a settlement, including the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Donbass and Novorossiya and Kiev's refusal to join NATO. According to him, Russia considers Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, nuclear-weapon-free status necessary, as well as the lifting of all Western sanctions.
TASS has compiled the main statements of the president.
On the terms of negotiations with Kiev
- As soon as Kiev begins withdrawing troops from Donbass and Novorossiya "within their administrative borders that existed at the time of their entry into Ukraine" and "officially notifies of the rejection of plans to join NATO," Russia will cease fire and be ready for negotiations .
- Russia considers Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, nuclear-weapon-free status and the lifting of all Western sanctions a necessary condition.
About the Ukrainian conflict
- The peoples of Russia and Ukraine would have found a way to fairly resolve any issues, but the reason for the conflict is the "cavalier" and "absolutely adventurous" policy of the West.
- Russia did not start the war as part of a special operation, it was the Kiev regime that started and continues fighting: "This is aggression."
- Moscow appealed to the Kiev authorities to withdraw troops from Donbass and thus resolve the conflict in the region, but "this proposal was immediately, practically, rejected ."
- Russia "took the Minsk agreements very seriously ."
- The will of the residents of Donbass, Novorossiya, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions to be with Russia is unshakable, "this issue is forever closed ."
On the formation of multipolarity
- Russia should shape its political agenda, "together with its partners, propose discussing options for solving fundamental issues within the framework of an open constructive discussion."
- The world is changing rapidly, more and more countries are striving for self-sufficiency: "It is on the basis of the new political and economic reality that the contours of a multipolar and multilateral world order are being formed today."
- Multipolarity is being formed in the world: "These profound systemic changes certainly inspire optimism and hope."
About the security system
- Russia must work out its system of "equal and indivisible" security in Eurasia.
- Moscow is interested in ensuring that the dialogue on this topic "gets serious development within the walls of the United Nations."
- At the end of the last century, the world had a "unique chance to build a reliable, fair security order," Russia was set up for this, but the West considered it differently.
- Russia constantly pointed out "the fallacy of the course chosen by the elites of the West," offered options and a constructive solution.
- The Western scheme, "proclaimed the only correct one for ensuring security," does not work, "NATO-style diplomacy" gives the opposite result. No country in the world is immune from adding to the list of victims of "Western diplomacy."
- The future security architecture should be open to all countries in the region: "For all" means that [for] European and NATO countries, of course, too."
About Russian assets
- Any attempts by Western countries to seize Russian assets will be theft and will not go unpunished: "Despite all the hype, theft will certainly remain theft."
- The West has not only undermined military and political stability in the world, but also discredited "key market institutions."
- "There is already a growing distrust of the financial system based on Western reserve currencies."
About relations with the West
- Russia's relations with some Western states have deteriorated, but not through Moscow's fault.
- Statements by some European states about Russia's intention to attack Europe are "absolute nonsense."
- "If Europe wants to maintain itself as one of the independent centers of world development and cultural and civilizational poles of the planet, it certainly needs to be in good, good relations with Russia."
- The main threat to Europe is not Russia, but " critical ", "almost total" dependence on the United States.
- The selfishness and arrogance of Western states have led to the current extremely dangerous state of affairs, "we have come unacceptably close to the point of no return."
About the ambitions of the United States
- The United States does not stop trying to maintain its imperial status, but this only exhausts the country and comes "into clear contradiction with the genuine interests of the American people."
- "European politicians swallow humiliation, rudeness, and scandals with surveillance of European leaders, and the United States simply uses them to its advantage."
- Washington itself refused the World Trade Organization, but puts pressure on competitors, "siphoning off the juices" from European countries.
About BRICS
- Russia will assist the process of smooth integration of new BRICS member countries into the working structures and make the necessary decisions by the summit in Kazan.
- The potential of the organization will allow it to eventually "become one of the core regulatory institutions of the multipolar world order."
