Putin's demands on Ukraine contradict UN Charter, morality and common sense – US State Department

The US Department of State has criticised Russian President Vladimir Putin's so-called "peace plan", noting Russia's unwillingness to engage in serious discussions about peace in Ukraine.

Matthew Miller, US Department of State Spokesperson, referred to Putin's statement as "another maximalist statement" in which he called on Ukraine to give up even more of its sovereign territory than what is currently occupied by Russia.

"No responsible nation can say that this is a reasonable basis for peace. It defies the UN Charter. It defies basic morality. It defies basic common sense," he said. 

He pointed out that Russia is not ready for any serious, sincere discussions.

"Russia’s actions make this especially clear as it continues its bombing campaigns against Ukraine’s critical infrastructure, threatens ships in the Black Sea, and forcibly relocates tens of thousands of Ukrainian children," Miller said.

On 14 June, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin talked about new "conditions for the start of peace talks": Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the entire territory of four Ukrainian oblasts, and Kyiv must declare that it has no plans to join NATO.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is seeking to disrupt the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland with his ultimatum for the start of "peace talks".

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy compared Putin’s ultimatum to the actions of Nazi Germany.