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Trump’s adviser says it’s unrealistic to drive Russia out of Ukraine’s former territories

At a high-level meeting with Russian foreign ministry officials in mid-June, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined Moscow's preconditions for resolving the conflict

NEW YORK, January 12. /TASS/. It is an unrealistic task to completely drive Russia out of the territories claimed by Ukraine, including Crimea, US President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said.

"I just don’t think it’s realistic to say that we are going to expel every Russian from every inch of Ukrainian soil, even Crimea. President Trump has acknowledged that reality and I think it’s been a huge step forward that the entire world is acknowledging that reality," he told ABC News.

"Now let’s move forward: how do we not no longer perpetuate this conflict and how do we no longer allow it to escalate in a way that drags in the entire world?" he said, adding that the first thing to be done is to declare a ceasefire that would pave the way for negotiations toward a lasting solution.

At a high-level meeting with Russian foreign ministry officials in mid-June, Russian President Vladimir Putin outlined Moscow's preconditions for resolving the conflict. These included Ukraine withdrawing its forces from Donbass and Novorossia, abandoning aspirations to join NATO, and committing to a non-bloc, non-nuclear status. Moscow also demanded the removal of all Western-imposed sanctions.

On December 8, 2024, Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said that Russian was open to talks on Ukraine and all Vladimir Zelensky had to do was to lift his own ban on any contacts with the Russian leaders and give a greenlight to resuming the dialogue on the basis of the Istanbul agreements and with due account of the existing realities on the ground.