Kremlin Sets Donbas Withdrawal as Peace Precondition

The Kremlin has established Ukraine's military withdrawal from Donbas as a condition for advancing any war settlement, according to Putin aide Yuri Ushakov on May 10.

Ushakov asserted that any peace agreement will go nowhere unless Kyiv withdraws its forces from the disputed eastern region. The demand represents a rigid position that contradicts earlier diplomatic signals of flexibility.

The statement complicates ongoing peace negotiations and reflects the Kremlin's insistence on territorial gains as a precondition for talks.