Russia wants a peace treaty with Ukraine that includes “ironclad” guarantees

Tensions in negotiations have persisted as Russia has demanded strong security guarantees in any peace agreement with Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated in comments released on Monday that Russia will seek “ironclad” guarantees in any peace deal involving Ukraine, including as Kyiv’s exclusion from NATO and a pledge to maintain its neutrality.

Trump is trying to get Russian President Vladimir Putin to approve a planned 30-day truce that Ukraine has agreed to, but Putin insists that certain requirements be fulfilled. US ambassador Steve Witkoff told CNN during what he described as a “positive” meeting with the Russian leader in Moscow that Trump is likely to discuss ending the three-year conflict with Putin this week.

While reiterating Moscow’s unwavering position on a long-term peace pact, Grushko did not address the ceasefire plan in an interview with the Russian media source Izvestia.

Izvestia cited Grushko as adding, “We will insist that this agreement include unwavering security guarantees.” “These guarantees should include Ukraine’s neutral status and NATO members’ refusal to admit it into the alliance.”

Additionally, he reiterated Russia’s unwavering opposition to NATO sending observers or peacekeepers to Ukraine, dismissing recent proposals for such deployments from Australia, France, and Britain.

Grushko stated that it is irrelevant if NATO forces were to be stationed on Ukrainian soil under the name of the European Union, NATO, or in a domestic capacity. “They are in the conflict zone if they show up there, and they will be subject to all the consequences that come with being parties to the conflict.”

“Talks on a civilian observer mission will only begin after a peace agreement is reached,” Grushko said.

“Unarmed observers, a civilian mission that would oversee the execution of specific elements of this agreement, or guarantee mechanisms are options we can discuss,” he stated. “It’s just hot air in the meantime.”

French President Emmanuel Macron stated in comments released on Sunday that Kyiv, not Moscow, should decide whether to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine.

Europe must acknowledge the need to bar foreign military deployments in Ukraine and to exclude Ukraine from NATO, Grushko retorted.

“Eliminating one of the underlying causes of the conflict will then ensure the security of Ukraine and the entire region in a broader sense,” he stated.