Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, has vowed to continue his invasion of Ukraine until it commits to neutrality and disarmament.
According to tweets from Natasha Bertrand, a CNN reporter on national security, Putin made the declaration during a lengthy telephone conversation with Emmanuel Macron, President of France.
Putin told Macron that he is open to negotiations but emphasized that Ukraine must first commit to neutrality and disarm—and said if Ukrainians don’t accept these conditions, Russia would obtain the same result militarily, the source said.
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) March 3, 2022
The Russian president was quoted to have said he would “continue military interventions and go all the way”.
With this demand, Russia wants Ukraine to remain a neutral state in world politics. This means Ukraine would agree to stand neutral between The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and Russia in all regards.
It also means Ukraine would undertake no formal alliances or non-defensive military cooperation with either side, and it would defend its borders against any invader.
Ukraine is equally expected not to allow the presence of any western military base or station within its territory, including its waters.
Putin went on to state that Russia is prepared to obtain the same result militarily, if Ukraine fails to accept the conditions.
Since the invasion began exactly a week ago, over a million Ukrainian residents, both locals and foreign nationals, have fled the country, taking refuge in neighbouring countries.
According to the latest data released by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), over 752 civilian casualties, including women and children, were recorded between February 24, the day the invasion started, and March 1.
Of the total number of casualties, 227 have been declared dead.
