Russia Kremlin rules out freezing the war in Ukraine

The Kremlin has rejected speculation about a possible freeze in the Russian-Ukrainian war.

"The President has already said that freezing this conflict is not an option for us," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov in a press briefing with regard to media reports on various scenarios for an end to the war along the current front line. Moscow still wants to achieve its war aims. President Vladimir Putin had repeatedly declared his willingness to talk.

The day before, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi categorically ruled out the possibility of ceding territory to Russia in view of the deliberations on how to end the war. However, he left room for a temporary loss of control over parts of Ukrainian territory until after Putin's term of office.

Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 and occupies a good fifth of Ukrainian territory, including the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.

SDA