The Kremlin rejected Zelensky’s peace proposal and refused to withdraw troops by Christmas.

The The Kremlin This Tuesday was rejected Withdrawal of Russian troops This year, in response to a proposal by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr ZelenskyWho invited Russia the day before to do it for Christmas.

“Can’t talk about it”, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at his daily press conference.

Zelensky said on Monday Christmas and New Years are “a time for peace and not aggression.” “I propose that Russia at least try to show that it is capable of deterring aggression,” he said in a telematic message to G7 leaders.

According to Zelensky, “It would be perfect if this Christmas started with the withdrawal of Russian troops from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine”. The president promised that Moscow would “guarantee a credible cessation of hostilities” through the move.

while, According to the Kremlin, Kiev must first “accept reality” on the ground.

“These are facts that happened because of the leadership of Ukraine and the policy that has been followed by the current Ukrainian regime for the last fifteen or twenty years,” Peskov said.

He said that these facts speak to the fact that the Russian Federation has new lessons as a result of the referendums held last September in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. “Without taking these new facts into account, no progress is possible.”, concluded the representative of the Russian President.

At the end of September, Russia said it would annex four Ukrainian regions, except Crimea – which was annexed in 2014 -, although it does not fully control them. A decision largely rejected by the international community.

On Monday, the Ukrainian president reiterated his 10-point peace plan from mid-November, which does not concern restructuring territorial integrity, the fate of prisoners or food security. The proposed steps include providing Kyiv with more weapons, securing economic and financial aid, and using diplomacy to push for the liberation of Ukrainian territories.

In this regard, Peskov said that “there are three steps to continue military operations.”

The Ukrainian military has pushed back Russian troops in recent months. In response, Moscow has mobilized 300,000 reservists to consolidate its defensive lines and launch attacks against the country’s energy infrastructure.

(With information from EFE and AFP)

Continue reading: