Vladimir Putin peace terms slammed as Ukraine summit begins - BBC.com

The Ukrainian government has strongly criticized the peace terms proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling them an attempt to legalize Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory. The criticism came as the second round of talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials began in Turkey, focused on negotiating a ceasefire and establishing humanitarian corridors for evacuating civilians from besieged cities. Putin's peace plan outlined a number of conditions for ending the war, including Ukraine's recognition of Crimea as Russian territory, the demilitarization of Ukraine, and the neutrality of Ukraine, meaning it cannot join NATO. This proposal, however, has been widely condemned by Western leaders, who consider it a non-starter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has insisted that his country will not give up any territory to Russia, and has expressed skepticism about the sincerity of Russian peace proposals. The Ukrainian government believes that Russia is continuing its military campaign with the aim of occupying the entire country. The current round of talks is taking place against the backdrop of an escalation of fighting in several key cities, including the besieged city of Mariupol. Despite the ongoing conflict, both sides have expressed hope that an agreement can be reached to establish humanitarian corridors and allow safe passage for civilians. However, the possibility of a ceasefire or a negotiated end to the war remains uncertain, given the deep divisions between the two sides.

Summary

"The second round of talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey has begun, with a focus on establishing humanitarian corridors and a ceasefire. However, the Ukrainian government has rejected Russian President Putin's peace terms as unacceptable, calling them a legitimization of Russia's occupation of Ukrainian territory. The possibility of a ceasefire or a negotiated end to the war remains uncertain given the deep divisions between the two sides."