Politico announced EU plans to publish a call for Russia to “leave Ukraine”

The European Union and NATO may soon publish an official statement that will call on Russia to “leave the territory of Ukraine”, informed Politico with a link to the document.

According to the sources of the publication, the statement may be published in the coming days – at the beginning of next week or as early as 2023. It is specified that the discussion of this document lasted more than a year, but its publication was delayed due to tense relations between Turkey and Cyprus.

December 13, Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov informedthat Moscow is not considering the possibility of withdrawing Russian troops from Ukraine before the end of this year. Thus, he commented on the proposal of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the statement of the Ukrainian leader, the three “steps to peace” are the supply of Western modern tanks and artillery to Kyiv, ensuring the energy and financial stability of Ukraine, as well as the implementation of the “peace formula” proposed by him earlier. In turn, Peskov named it is “three steps to the continuation of hostilities”. In his opinion, Kyiv needs to take into account the current new realities, including the emergence of new subjects in Russia as a result of referendums.

In early December, US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz again urged to a peaceful solution to the Ukrainian crisis, the condition of which should be the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. The Kremlin then took this proposal negatively. “The United States does not recognize new territories within the Russian Federation. This significantly complicates the search for mutual ground, ground for opportunities for agreements,” Peskov said at the time.

The Kremlin spokesman has repeatedly spoken about Ukraine’s unwillingness to negotiate with Russia. At the end of November Peskov declaredthat negotiations between the two countries are now impossible, since they are denied by the Ukrainian side. Then Peskov added that in order to resume dialogue, Ukraine must not only repeal the law refusing to negotiate with Moscow, but also show political will. According to him, Kyiv must show readiness to discuss Russia’s demands, “which are well known.”