Ukraine demands complete Russian troop pullback before any negotiations to end months-long war

Russia must withdraw all its forces from Ukrainian soil before any negotiations can take place, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in Kyiv said in response to repeated offers from Moscow to hold talks.

"The only realistic proposal would be the immediate termination of the Russian war against Ukraine and the withdrawal of the Russian armed forces from Ukrainian territory," ministry spokesperson Oleh Nikolenko said on Sunday.

He was responding to recent remarks from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirming an offer from President Vladimir Putin.

If Russia really wants to talk, it must cease destroying Ukraine's energy infrastructure, Nikolenko said. Anyone wanting to negotiate should not be bombarding Ukrainian residential areas, mobilizing 300,000 reservists, or blocking grain exports, he said.