RT-Engels: 01-04-2026,
Moscow has denied giving Kiev two months to withdraw from Donbass, insisting Ukrainian forces should have left “yesterday”
The Kremlin has dismissed Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s claim that Moscow issued a two‑month ultimatum for Kiev to withdraw from Russia’s Donbass region, insisting that the troops should have left the region long ago.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the idea of a withdrawal deadline “is not about two months,” stressing that Zelensky “must make the decision today for the Ukrainian armed forces to leave the borders of the Donetsk People’s Republic.”
“This has been said for a long time, and he should have done it yesterday. It could have saved the lives of thousands of people and stopped the hot phase of this war,” Peskov said.
Peskov’s remarks came a day after Zelensky claimed in an interview that Moscow had informed Washington that it expected Kiev to withdraw from Donbass within two months. The Ukrainian leader said that if Kiev refused, Russia would capture the territory anyway and the terms of a settlement “will be different.”
The status of Donbass, which voted to join Russia in 2022, remains one of the main obstacles to peace negotiations. Moscow has repeatedly stated that Ukraine’s full withdrawal from the region is essential for a sustainable settlement.
Zelensky’s claims about alleged US pressure to cede Donbass have also been rejected by Washington.