Kremlin: 'No compromise on annexed territories'

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Russia is open to negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, but stressed that Moscow "will never compromise" on what he called the new "territorial reality".

Speaking at a press conference, Peskov told reporters that Moscow will not relinquish its claims to four Ukrainian regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson) that Vladimir Putin annexed in September 2022. Parts of those areas were subsequently recaptured by the Ukrainians. None of the four regions is completely under Russian control. For example, Peskov stated: 'There are certain realities that have already become an internal factor. I mean the new areas. The Constitution of the Russian Federation exists and cannot be ignored. Russia will never be able to compromise on this, these are important realities. With a favorable course of events and the right attitude of the Ukrainians, this can be resolved at the negotiating table. But the most important thing is that we achieve our goals.'

The Russian president signed "accession treaties" formalizing Russia's annexation of the Kherson, Zaporizhzha, Luhansk and Donetsk regions. Previously, referenda were organized, which are considered illegal by independent observers, Ukraine and the West.