Russia has just rejected the ceasefire proposed by the United States and accepted by Ukraine to stop the war for 30 days. Russian negotiator Yuri Ushakov spoke before meeting with his American counterparts and stated that Moscow does not want "a temporary truce, but a lasting settlement," as that would only serve as a "breather" for the Ukrainian army, not a "lasting peaceful settlement."
"Our goal is a lasting peaceful settlement that takes into account the legitimate interests of our country," said Yuri Ushakov, international advisor to the Kremlin, on the Rossía 1 television channel.
These statements come hours after the The Washington Post published a report from the FSB (Federal Security Service) about the demands that Moscow must put on the negotiation table. They are all maximalist and coincide with previous ultimatums before the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow makes it clear in that document that it will only negotiate on those points: NATO must withdraw its troops and armaments deployed in Eastern European countries that joined the Alliance after 1997, such as Poland, Romania, and the Baltic States.
In addition, Russia demands that the United States and NATO commit not to deploy intermediate-range missiles or offensive systems near its borders. Russia insists that Ukraine and the international community recognize the annexation of Crimea (and now the rest of occupied Ukraine) as legitimate and part of its territory. Another strong point of the document is the demands for Ukrainian neutrality and disarmament of its army.