Putin pushes Ukraine to recognize “referendums”, threatens new offensive

He said this in an interview with Sky News Arabia.

Putin demands Ukraine’s neutrality and a commitment “not to join any foreign alliances or acquire nuclear weapons.”

The Russian leader wants Ukraine to recognize the illegal “referendums” in the occupied territories. He threatens that ignoring “these results means the likelihood of renewed armed conflict.”

Putin also demands that Ukraine “ensure the rights of Russian-speaking and pro-Russian residents.”

The Kremlin leader accused “external parties” of “not seeking to end the conflict, but rather using Ukraine to achieve malicious goals.”

“Ukraine deserves a better fate than to be a tool in the hands of external parties working against Russia,” Putin stated.

• Vladimir Putin said that Russia's goal is to compel Ukraine to recognize the occupied territories as part of Russia.