Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said today that a ceasefire in Ukraine can only occur after Ukrainian troops withdraw from Donbas, the Russian newspaper „Kommersant“ reported, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
The comment comes in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's proposal to hold a territorial referendum on the future of Donbas, TASS notes.
„Donbas is Russian. All parts of Donbas are Russian“, Ushakov said, adding that this is enshrined in the Russian constitution.
In an interview with „Kommersant“ he indicated that within the framework of the peace plan, Russian National Guard forces could be deployed in Donbas, and the Russian army would not enter areas currently under Ukrainian control.
“If not through negotiations, then by military means this territory will come under full Russian control. Everything else will depend entirely on this“, added Ushakov.