Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s Secretary of the Security Council, has articulated conditions for concluding the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the need to address the root causes of the war.
Shoigu stated that Russia has never dismissed the possibility of a diplomatic resolution. However, he asserted that peace cannot be achieved until the underlying issues of the conflict are resolved.
He specifically called for Ukraine to revert to a status of non-alignment, neutrality, and denuclearization. “We are interested in the complete and final return of Ukraine as a non-nuclear and non-aligned country. Most importantly, it must be a nation that respects the rights of all its citizens, particularly those who speak Russian and those who have been deprived of the right to speak their own language,” Shoigu remarked.
Additionally, he accused Western nations of deliberately prolonging the conflict.
Since the beginning of 2026, several rounds of trilateral negotiations have taken place involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States. A key unresolved issue remains control over the non-occupied territories of Donbas. Russia insists on the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces, while Ukraine proposes to freeze positions along the front line. The United States advocates for the establishment of a free economic zone in these areas.
Sergei Shoigu has set forth Russia's conditions for ending the conflict in Ukraine, focusing on the need for Ukraine to adopt a non-aligned and neutral status. Ongoing negotiations involving Ukraine, Russia, and the United States continue to grapple with territorial control in Donbas.