Russia: Ultimatum!

“In order for a ceasefire to take effect and for a path toward full-fledged peace negotiations to open, as the president already stated in June the year before last while speaking before the leadership of Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zelensky must issue an order to the Armed Forces of Ukraine to cease fire and leave the territory of Donbas, to leave the territory of Russia’s regions,” Peskov told reporters.

According to Interfax, he was asked what steps Kyiv should take to end the conflict.

“At that moment, a ceasefire will take effect, and the sides will be able to calmly engage in negotiations, which will inevitably be very complex and will contain a large number of important details,” the Kremlin representative added.

Also, according to the Financial Times, the Russian military command has convinced Russian President Vladimir Putin that the army will be able to occupy the entire Donbas by autumn.

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According to the newspaper’s sources, the Russian leader has been informed about the growing difficulties faced by the Ukrainian army and the critical situation on the front line.

The report states that the leadership is increasingly focused on gaining full control over the DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic), despite previously expressing in private conversations a willingness to freeze the conflict along the current line of contact between the opposing sides.

In that context, FT sources described the prospects for continuing U.S.-mediated negotiations as “extremely slim.”