REUTERS
Moscow would not like to see a "war party" at helm in Ukraine but the one aiming at a real step-by-step settlement based on the existing agreements.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov says that after the presidential elections in Ukraine, the settlement of the conflict in Donbas is possible only based on the Minsk agreements.
"We are closely following the candidates' statements. Of course, especially those concerning our country and bilateral relations. We are closely monitoring their statements and their vision of the future fate of Donbas, and we are drawing the relevant conclusions," he told journalists, as reported by an UNIAN correspondent in Russia.
Moscow would not like to see a "war party" at helm in Ukraine but the one aiming at a real step-by-step settlement based on the existing agreements.
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This refers to the Minsk agreements, according to Peskov's clarification.
When asked by an UNIAN correspondent on how the Kremlin regarded the intent of presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelensky to demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin liberate Ukrainian territories and compensate for losses to Ukraine, Peskov replied: "We are ready to explain to any Ukrainian citizen that Russia is not occupying any Ukrainian territory."
"This is off the table because in this case the 'republics of Donbas' [the self-proclaimed 'Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics/'DPR' and 'LPR'] are unrecognized and rejected by Ukraine, itself, and what is happening there is a consequence of the policy pursued by Ukraine's leadership," he said.