Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has signed a decree that rejects Russia’s recognition of independence declared by Crimea, the Donetsk and Luhansk and Zaporizhie and Kherson regions.
A copy of the decree, which was released on the Ukrainian presidential website, stated: "Decrees by the president of the Russian Federation No. 147 of March 17, 2014; No. 71 of February 21, 2022; No. 72 of February 21; No. 685 of September 29, 2022; No. 686 dated September 29, 2022 and any other decisions, acts and agreements that have been passed, issued and made based on and/or in relation to the execution of the said decrees by the president of the Russian Federation shall be recognized as null and void, and therefore have no legal implications."
Russia will wait until Ukraine’s incumbent or next president changes the country’s stance on negotiations with Moscow because efforts to hold talks and reach agreements require Kiev’s participation, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.
"There need to be two parties to hold talks," he noted. "We will now wait either until the incumbent Ukrainian president changes his position, or until there is another president in Ukraine who will change his position for the sake of the Ukrainian people," Peskov said, when asked if agreements could be reached without Kiev.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky earlier enacted a decision by the country’s Council for National Security and Defense saying that it was impossible to hold talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. A decree on the matter was published on the Ukrainian presidential office’s website on Tuesday.
