The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko said over the statements of the Russian Foreign Ministry that the withdrawal of Russian troops is unacceptable for Moscow as a precondition for starting negotiations.

The spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Russia is not in a position to dictate their terms but must accept Kyiv’s conditions.

Nikolenko said, “The dialogue should take into account the situation on the ground.

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“Russia is not in the position to dictate its terms. Ukraine’s peace formula remains unchanged: an immediate cessation of the war, the withdrawal of all Russian troops, the restoration of Ukrainian territorial integrity, compensation for the damage caused and the provision of effective guarantees against a repetition of aggression.”

The Foreign Ministry also warned that under other conditions it would be impossible to achieve any sustainable peace.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Hrushko said on Monday, “the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine is unacceptable for Moscow as a precondition for starting negotiations.

“Our president has repeatedly said that we are ready for negotiations. But these negotiations, of course, must take into account the situation on the ground.”

Journalist Liz Cookman told Times Radio Russia was hoping to wrap up the invasion, she said, “Both sides, particularly Russia, have signaled that they are willing to negotiate but under certain terms.

“For Ukraine, they know that negotiations will probably mean being forced to give up territory, which they are not willing to do.

“At the moment, there is a lot of hope that they could actually fully win this war.”

Cookman added that the liberation of both Kherson and Kharkiv has been a major boost for Ukrainian forces.

She said, “Certainly it looks a lot more hopeful for Ukraine and it’s a huge boost for morale as winter is setting in.

“Ukraine’s winters are very harsh, they’re very cold – it’s already getting very cold. A lot of cities have scheduled power cuts, and they have some heating cuts, as part of efforts to conserve energy.

“Settlements in the east and some in the south have no gas or electricity at all, so this kind of thing is a huge morale boost for the whole country.