Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov on Tuesday reiterated that Moscow will accept no compromises on occupied territories and insists on retaining control over Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson, despite not fully controlling most of these regions.
As European leaders pledged long-term protection for Ukraine, the Kremlin also demanded security guarantees, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warning that Moscow would not accept peace agreements it believes Kyiv might later undermine, while making false claims about NATO involvement in Ukraine.
Russia also dismissed proposals for a Christmas truce, rejecting suggestions from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and support from Zelensky for a temporary ceasefire, including halts on attacks against energy infrastructure. Peskov said the Kremlin seeks not a pause but an end to the war on its own terms, arguing that a truce would only allow Ukraine to regroup.
Zelensky, meanwhile, said substantial progress was made in Berlin during the first direct talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, noting they had previously held multiple meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ryabkov
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