Ukraine must withdraw troops for peace talks: Putin 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised to ‘immediately’ order a cease-fire in Ukraine and begin negotiations if Kyiv started withdrawing troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounced plans to join NATO.

“We will do it immediately,” Putin said in a speech at the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow on Friday.

Such a deal appears a nonstarter for Kyiv, which wants to join the military alliance and has demanded that Russia withdraw its troops from all of its territory. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Putin’s proposal.

His remarks came as leaders of the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations met in Italy and as Switzerland prepared to host scores of world leaders — but not from Moscow — this weekend to try to map out first steps toward peace in Ukraine.

Broader demands for peace that the Russian leader listed included Ukraine’s non-nuclear status, restrictions on its military force and protecting the interests of the Russian-speaking population in the country. 

All of these should become part of “fundamental international agreements,” and all Western sanctions against Russia should be lifted, Putin said.