A senior Ukrainian aide on Friday dismissed conditions set out by Russian President Vladimir Putin for initiating peace talks, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions partly occupied by Russia.
“It’s all a complete sham. Therefore — once again — get rid of illusions and stop taking seriously the ‘proposals of Russia’ that are offensive to common sense,” Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to President Volodymyr Zelensky, wrote on social media.