Russia says Ukraine must accept non-aligned status and recognise 'territorial reality' for peace - Interfax

A top Russian official said on Thursday that Moscow would respond positively should Kyiv be ready to resume peace negotiations, but that Ukraine must accept the "territorial realities" of the situation, the Interfax news agency reported.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said Kyiv must provide a clear response to Moscow's proposals that Ukraine accept "non-aligned" and "non-nuclear" status in order to strike a peace deal. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would also have to recognize Russia's control over Crimea and the status of the breakaway "people's republics" in Donetsk and Luhansk, Interfax reported.

Negotiations on a possible peace deal have been stalled since tentative rounds of talks between the two sides broke down just weeks into the conflict.