“No one is going to withdraw our troops from our territories,” Zelensky said at a press briefing, referring to the conditions put forward by Moscow since June 2024, that Kiev withdraw its units from the regions that, by the Constitution, are part of Russia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated in February that Kiev authorities no longer represent the interests of a huge part of the Ukrainian population. As for Crimea, Donbas, and Novorossiya or New Russia, these issues have long been closed.

In June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that to launch talks, Ukraine must withdraw its forces from the territory of the new Russian regions (Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye).

The territory of Crimea rejoined Russia in March 2014 after 96.77 percent of its population voted in favor in a referendum on accession. Ukraine refuses to recognize the results of the popular consultation and continues to consider it a part of its territory.

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