Ukraine rules out peace talks unless Russia returns captured land
Kiev has called for the restoration of Ukraine's borders as a precondition for the resumption of peace talks with Russia.
The secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, said on Tuesday that the "main condition" for the resumption of negotiations with the Kremlin would be the restoration of all captured Ukrainian territory.
"The main condition of the President of Ukraine is restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity," Danilov wrote on Twitter.
"Guarantee – modern air defense, aircraft, tanks, and long-range missiles. Strategy – proactive steps. Russian missiles must be destroyed before launch in the air, on land and at sea," he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that he was open to "genuine" negotiations with Russia that would restore Ukraine's borders.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said on Monday that Moscow was open to talks but that Kiev was refusing to engage in negotiations.
After Russia announced the formal annexation of four Ukrainian regions in September, Zelensky said Kiev would not hold talks with Moscow as long as Putin remained in power.
Russian officials have repeatedly said they will not negotiate over territory that was annexed to the Russian Federation, including the former Ukrainian region of Crimea, which was taken over by Russia in 2014.
President Putin announced a military campaign in Ukraine on February 24, saying that the operation would be aimed at "de-Nazifying" the country.
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