Russia says troops withdrawal from Kyiv is a 'goodwill gesture' to promote negotiations

Dubbing the retreat of Russian troops from Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities a ‘goodwill gesture,’ Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Wednesday, April 6 stated that Russia is committed to promoting favourable talks as the negotiations between the warring nations were reaching some conclusion.

While addressing the media on the ongoing war, Peskov termed the withdrawal of troops from Kyiv a ‘goodwill gesture’ to create ‘favourable conditions’ for peace negotiations following Ukraine’s proposed treaty on security and other promises made during the Istanbul peace negotiations.

Troops withdrawal is a goodwill gesture: Kremlin Spokesperson

The Kremin Spokesperson further said that Russia agrees with the ‘acceptable conditions’ proposed by Ukraine's President Zelenskyy. He further claimed that 'if all demands were met, it will lead to the end of the military operation.' 

Alongside, asserting its demand for Ukraine to remain neutral and to reject NATO membership, Peskov reiterated Putin’s demands for official recognition of Crimea as Russian territory and Donbas Republics as independent nations.

"Ukraine needs to agree on the statuses of Crimea and Donbas republics," the Kremlin spokesperson said. The spokesman claimed that “the status of Crimea as a Russian region and the status of Donbas republics as independent countries is obvious.”

While Zelenskyy has accepted maintaining a neutral position and assured that Kyiv will not become a part of the NATO defence alliance, the Ukrainian President is adamant about not giving away annexed Crimea and Donbas regions.

Despite putting immense efforts for over a month, Russian forces failed to capture Ukrainian capital Kyiv, consequently leading to their withdrawal from the capital and surrounding northern cities. The Russian military is now concentrating its troops in the Southern and Eastern parts of Ukraine following the second phase of Moscow’s ‘military operations.’ 

Russia’s redrawn strategy to accumulate its forces in the eastern and southern cities is being understood as an attempt by Moscow to annex the Donbas region and seize major port cities neighbouring Crimea. It is pertinent to mention here that the two cities under Donbas - Donetsk and Luhansk were recognised as ‘independent nations’- DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic) & LPR (Luhansk People’s Republic) just days ahead of the incursion at the behest of Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

(With ANI Inputs)

Image: AP