March 17, 2025 (EIRNS)—Alexander Grushko, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, laid out the Russian requirements for peace in Ukraine in an interview in the daily Izvestia on March 17. In the interview, Grushko made clear that a peace agreement had to be comprehensive and assure security for Russia on a broad basis, particularly given the determination of the NATO-EU countries to view Russia as an enemy.
“If we look at the strategic concepts approved by NATO and developed in the European Union, as well as the nature of NATO deployments along our borders, we will see that we are talking about long-term plans that the West is not trying to adapt in any way to a future peace agreement. And we will proceed from this in terms of our policy and in the sphere of military development,” Grushko said.
“With regard to the situation of Ukraine, we will demand that cast-iron security guarantees become part of this agreement. Since only through their formation will it be possible to achieve lasting peace in Ukraine and, in general, regional security. Part of these guarantees should be the neutral status of Ukraine, the refusal of NATO countries to accept it as a member of the alliance,” said Grushko.
