Putin's strict condition for a ceasefire

The Russian president is demanding that Ukraine fully relinquish the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, but Zelensky has rejected this demand.

US President Donald Trump spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin by phone for two hours on Monday. The two leaders discussed a ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, as negotiations have stalled in recent weeks.

Following the call, the US president announced that Russia and Ukraine would "immediately" resume negotiations in an effort to organise talks and at least reach a truce in the conflict, which could mark the beginning of the end of the war.

However, Moscow's demands to end the war are in direct conflict with those of Kyiv. Putin's condition for negotiating a ceasefire is that Ukraine fully relinquish the regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in the east and south of the country, which Russia claims to have annexed.

The strict condition set by Russia has been rejected by Ukraine, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday. "No one will remove our troops from our territories," the Ukrainian leader told journalists in Kyiv after learning of Russia's demands and speaking with Mr Trump by phone.

(MH with MaSi – Source: Agency – Photo: ©DPA – Anadolu – Kremlin Press Service – Handout)