‘Peace plan’ on Ukraine has to account for four new regions joining Russia — Kremlin

MOSCOW, Russia – December 28 (ONLINE) No “peace plan” on Ukraine is possible if it does not account for four new regions joining Russia, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Wednesday.

“To begin with, so far, there is no Ukrainian ‘peace plan’ of any kind,” the Kremlin official said replying to a request to comment on Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s initiative to come up with a “peace plan” by February when he would like to hold a “peace summit” at the UN.

“And again, no Ukrainian ‘peace plan’ is possible if it does not take into account the modern reality – with Russia’s territory, with four new regions joining Russia,” Putin’s press secretary stressed. “Any plan that does not take into account these circumstances cannot claim to be a peace plan,” he added.

Earlier, the Ukrainian leader told a joint meeting of Congress following his talks with US President Joe Biden that the two had discussed Kiev’s proposals to settle the Ukrainian conflict. According to Zelensky, Biden supported Ukraine’s initiative to hold a global peace summit to discuss these proposals. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said that Kiev intended to hold a “peace summit” at the UN by the end of February and suggested that the organization’s Secretary General Antonio Guterres serve as a mediator with Guterres expressing readiness to do so.

From September 23 to September 27, the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR) as well as the Kherson Region and the Zaporozhye Region held a referendum where the majority of voters opted to join Russia. On September 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the DPR and the LPR, the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions signed treaties on their accession to Russia. On October 4, Putin signed laws ratifying the treaties on the DPR, LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions joining Russia.