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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Sami Quadri

Moscow demands West recognise annexed territories before peace talks start

Russia has demanded that the West recognises the four illegally annexed regions of Ukraine before Joe Biden’s proposed peace talks can go ahead.

Moscow was put under the spotlight after the US President said he would be willing to negotiate if Vladimir Putin showed he was serious about ending the conflict.

But Russian officials dismissed the idea, saying the US conditions “did not recognise new territories” following the sham referendums which were held in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Mr Biden’s comments came during a state visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to the US, earlier this week.

During Mr Macron’s visit, the US President said: “I’m prepared to speak with Mr Putin if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he’s looking for a way to end the war.”

On Friday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov disputed the US President’s remarks and that talks will not take place in line with the West’s call for Russia to pull out of Ukraine.

“What did President Biden say in fact?” Mr Peskov said.

“He said that negotiations are possible only after Putin leaves Ukraine. The special military operation is continuing.”

Mr Peskov said Mr Putin was ready for talks to ensure Russia’s interests are respected but added Washington’s stance “complicates” any possible talks.

“The United States does not recognise new territories as part of the Russian Federation,” Mr Peskov said, referring to Ukrainian regions the Kremlin claims to have annexed.

In September, Moscow held sham referendums in the four regions and said residents voted in favour of becoming subjects of Russia.

But the United Nations condemned the “attempted illegal annexation” of Ukrainian land.

Mr Biden has not spoken directly with Mr Putin since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.

After more than nine months of fighting Ukraine has regained areas such as Kherson city.

Due to this, Russian missile and drone attacks have targeted key energy infrastructure, leaving millions without heating, electricity and water.

After refusing to enter talks with the US on their terms, Mr Putin had since spoken to the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and told the Chancellor that attacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure were “inevitable”.

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