Kremlin on Ukraine’s Decree Banning Negotiations With Putin

Faced with such a decree, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said what Russia will wait for to resume peace talks is a new position of Ukraine or its new leader.

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Speaking to journalists, Peskov referred to Russia's role as an "advocate of the idea of achieving the terms proposed by the Russian side by diplomatic means" even before the country's special military operation in Ukraine.

"It takes two sides to negotiate." In this regard, the spokesman said there is willingness on the Russian side to reach a solution to the current conflict negotiated between the two nations. 

According to the Russian diplomat, Moscow "will now wait for the current president to change his position or for the arrival of the future president of Ukraine, who would change his position in the interests of the Ukrainian people."

The decree banning negotiations was published today on the official website of the Ukrainian Presidency. Among its resolutions is "to recognize the impossibility of holding negotiations with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin."

This follows the signing by the Russian president of the treaties of accession to Russia of the Donbass republics (DPR, LPR) and the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. In referendums held in these territories, the majority of votes supported accession. 

In this regard, Putin said last Friday at the signing ceremony in the Kremlin that the free choice of these territories must be respected by Kiev, noting that the decision of its population to join Russia is not subject to discussion.

On this occasion, the Russian president urged the Ukrainian side to "cease all hostilities, stop the war it started in 2014 and return to the negotiating table."