For Russia to stop its military aggression in Ukraine, Moscow on Monday put out a list consisting of 4 demands from Kyiv which must be met to put an end to the fighting.
The 4 demands are as follows:
1. Russian demands cessation of military action from the Ukrainian side so that Russia can demilitarise the country.
“We really are finishing the demilitarisation of Ukraine. We will finish it. But the main thing is that Ukraine ceases its military action. They should stop their military action and then no one will shoot,” The Kremlin spokesperson said.
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2. Russia put forward a demand that Ukraine must make constitutional amendments to its constitution to ensure that the country gives up any aspiration to join any bloc.
“They should make amendments to the constitution according to which Ukraine would reject any aims to enter any bloc,” Spokesperson Peskov said.
In February 2019, Ukraine had signed a constitutional amendment to commit to becoming a member of NATO and the European Union.
Ukraine must "submit a request for EU membership and receive a NATO membership action plan no later than 2023," the then President Petro Poroshenko had said.
3. Ukraine must acknowledge that Crimea is Russian territory. Russia had annexed Crimea in December 2014.
A referendum was held in Crimea to determine the status of the territory as a Russian subject or a Ukrainian subject.
The people of the peninsula overwhelmingly voted to be part of the Russian Federation although doubts were raised over the authenticity and transparency of the referendum. The United Nations does not recognise Crimea as Russian territory.
4. Ukraine must declare the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces of the Donbas region as independent states.
On 21st February 2022, Russia officially recognised the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic as independent states.
On 24th February, President Putin authorised special operations in the Donbas region to ensure maintenance of law and order.
The Ukrainian side is yet to respond to those demands.
