The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, stated after the most recent large-scale attack on Ukraine that Russia could end the war by the end of the day, with one condition.
Commenting on the possibility of ending the war by the end of the year, Peskov raised the stakes, stating that the war could end by the end of the day.
"For this to happen, Zelensky must order his armed forces to leave the Russian regions," Peskov said, quoted by Kremlin-aligned Russian news agencies RIA Novosti and Interfax.
The Russian official referred to the Ukrainian regions that Russia is trying to occupy and that the Kremlin considers to belong to Russia, including the Donbas province.
Peskov's statement came after Russia launched a massive combined attack on Ukraine on Monday night, resulting in at least 18 deaths and over 100 wounded.
Brief timeline of statements on ending the war
- May 9: Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated he is willing to meet with Zelensky in a third country, but only to sign a final agreement to end the war. He claimed that the "Ukrainian conflict is heading towards its end."
- May 12: Dmitry Peskov said that the reason Putin mentioned that the end of the war against Ukraine is approaching is due to the "progress" made in the peace process and the mediation efforts of the US, although he did not provide a specific timeline.
- May 29: Putin stated that he has concluded that the war in Ukraine is nearing its end based on his analysis of the situation on the battlefield.
- May 31: Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Ukraine has a "window of opportunity" for discussions with Russia regarding ending the war before the end of this year.
- June 1: Kirilo Budanov, the Head of the Ukrainian President's Cabinet, stated that Zelensky instructed state officials to make every effort to end the war as soon as possible.
T.D.