Ceasefire Conditional on Ukraine's Donbas Withdrawal

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov asserted that a ceasefire in Ukraine hinges on Kyiv withdrawing from the Donbas region. If Ukrainian forces do not pull out, Russia intends to establish control through its National Guard. Ushakov indicated that this could mean no military presence, only policing forces, in the contested areas.

A Kremlin foreign policy aide emphasized that a ceasefire in Ukraine requires the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donbas region. Yury Ushakov, as reported by Russian newspaper Kommersant, stated that the area under Ukrainian control should be transferred to the Russian National Guard.

Ushakov was clear in his remarks: "A ceasefire can only come about after the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops." He further noted that should a withdrawal not occur through negotiation, Russian forces would employ military means to assume control.

The entire Luhansk region and a significant portion of the Donetsk region are under Russian control, yet several large cities remain in Kyiv's hands. Ushakov suggested that, under a peace plan, only Russia's Rosgvardiya National Guard would oversee those territories, with the Russian army absent.