07:15Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitri Medvedev said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s peace proposal on the conflict in Ukraine was 'urgent', claiming that subsequent negotiations 'will be held on worse terms' for Kiev, while addressing a plenary session of the 12th St Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF) on Thursday.
"This [Russian President Vladimir Putin’s] proposal is, without a doubt, urgent and rests on two pillars. First, the recognition of changed circumstances. Let me go back to the basics of international law. As known, there is an escape clause to the invariability of the circumstances needed to conclude a treaty, or clausula rebus sic stantibus. Thus, if the circumstances change, the treaty may be concluded on different terms," Medvedev said.
"The president said that Ukraine should declare its neutrality and not join a military alliance hostile to Russia. Under these conditions, the talks can resume. But if they do not, and it was also explicitly stated, then further negotiations, and naturally, sooner or later, they will take place, will be held on worse terms," he continued.
Medvedev also claimed that the Western countries are being 'parties to the conflict' in Ukraine, adding that Russia would do everything possible 'to ensure that they are held accountable for that'.
"There may be direct involvement of Western countries, perhaps not all, but some, in the armed conflict in Ukraine. In order to avoid escalation, neither the Russian Federation nor the Western countries will recognise this, because of, let's say, the principle of caution, so as not to move into a direct, really armed conflict, which could end very sadly for everyone," he added.
SPILF, taking place from 26-28 June, includes more than 3,800 representatives of the legal, business, political and law enforcement communities from 54 countries.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the participants of the 'Summit on Peace in Ukraine' held in Switzerland that Russia would be invited to the next peace conference that would mark the end of hostilities in Ukraine.
The peace conference in Burgenstock took place 15-16 June. Representatives of 91 states and eight international organisations attended, while Russia was not invited to the summit.
Following the meeting, around 80 countries adopted a final declaration calling for Ukraine's territorial integrity, safeguarding nuclear weapons, placing the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant under the full control of Ukraine and IAEA supervision, and restoring safe access to seaports. In addition, the communique states the need for an exchange of war prisoners on a 'all-for-all' basis and the return to Ukraine of deported and displaced civilians, including children.
On June 14, Putin outlined his conditions for a negotiated end to the conflict in Ukraine. It included the disarming and 'denazifying' of a 'neutral' Ukraine, with Crimea, the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions all recognised as part of Russia.
Advisor to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that it lacked any 'real peace proposal', while Zelensky himself later labelled it as an 'ultimatum'.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Medvedev states Russia's peace proposal on Ukraine is 'urgent', claims future talks 'will be held on worse terms' for Kiev
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitri Medvedev said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s peace proposal on the conflict in Ukraine was 'urgent', claiming that subsequent negotiations 'will be held on worse terms' for Kiev, while addressing a plenary session of the 12th St Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF) on Thursday.
"This [Russian President Vladimir Putin’s] proposal is, without a doubt, urgent and rests on two pillars. First, the recognition of changed circumstances. Let me go back to the basics of international law. As known, there is an escape clause to the invariability of the circumstances needed to conclude a treaty, or clausula rebus sic stantibus. Thus, if the circumstances change, the treaty may be concluded on different terms," Medvedev said.
"The president said that Ukraine should declare its neutrality and not join a military alliance hostile to Russia. Under these conditions, the talks can resume. But if they do not, and it was also explicitly stated, then further negotiations, and naturally, sooner or later, they will take place, will be held on worse terms," he continued.
Medvedev also claimed that the Western countries are being 'parties to the conflict' in Ukraine, adding that Russia would do everything possible 'to ensure that they are held accountable for that'.
"There may be direct involvement of Western countries, perhaps not all, but some, in the armed conflict in Ukraine. In order to avoid escalation, neither the Russian Federation nor the Western countries will recognise this, because of, let's say, the principle of caution, so as not to move into a direct, really armed conflict, which could end very sadly for everyone," he added.
SPILF, taking place from 26-28 June, includes more than 3,800 representatives of the legal, business, political and law enforcement communities from 54 countries.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the participants of the 'Summit on Peace in Ukraine' held in Switzerland that Russia would be invited to the next peace conference that would mark the end of hostilities in Ukraine.
The peace conference in Burgenstock took place 15-16 June. Representatives of 91 states and eight international organisations attended, while Russia was not invited to the summit.
Following the meeting, around 80 countries adopted a final declaration calling for Ukraine's territorial integrity, safeguarding nuclear weapons, placing the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant under the full control of Ukraine and IAEA supervision, and restoring safe access to seaports. In addition, the communique states the need for an exchange of war prisoners on a 'all-for-all' basis and the return to Ukraine of deported and displaced civilians, including children.
On June 14, Putin outlined his conditions for a negotiated end to the conflict in Ukraine. It included the disarming and 'denazifying' of a 'neutral' Ukraine, with Crimea, the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions all recognised as part of Russia.
Advisor to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that it lacked any 'real peace proposal', while Zelensky himself later labelled it as an 'ultimatum'.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitri Medvedev said that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s peace proposal on the conflict in Ukraine was 'urgent', claiming that subsequent negotiations 'will be held on worse terms' for Kiev, while addressing a plenary session of the 12th St Petersburg International Legal Forum (SPILF) on Thursday.
"This [Russian President Vladimir Putin’s] proposal is, without a doubt, urgent and rests on two pillars. First, the recognition of changed circumstances. Let me go back to the basics of international law. As known, there is an escape clause to the invariability of the circumstances needed to conclude a treaty, or clausula rebus sic stantibus. Thus, if the circumstances change, the treaty may be concluded on different terms," Medvedev said.
"The president said that Ukraine should declare its neutrality and not join a military alliance hostile to Russia. Under these conditions, the talks can resume. But if they do not, and it was also explicitly stated, then further negotiations, and naturally, sooner or later, they will take place, will be held on worse terms," he continued.
Medvedev also claimed that the Western countries are being 'parties to the conflict' in Ukraine, adding that Russia would do everything possible 'to ensure that they are held accountable for that'.
"There may be direct involvement of Western countries, perhaps not all, but some, in the armed conflict in Ukraine. In order to avoid escalation, neither the Russian Federation nor the Western countries will recognise this, because of, let's say, the principle of caution, so as not to move into a direct, really armed conflict, which could end very sadly for everyone," he added.
SPILF, taking place from 26-28 June, includes more than 3,800 representatives of the legal, business, political and law enforcement communities from 54 countries.
Earlier, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the participants of the 'Summit on Peace in Ukraine' held in Switzerland that Russia would be invited to the next peace conference that would mark the end of hostilities in Ukraine.
The peace conference in Burgenstock took place 15-16 June. Representatives of 91 states and eight international organisations attended, while Russia was not invited to the summit.
Following the meeting, around 80 countries adopted a final declaration calling for Ukraine's territorial integrity, safeguarding nuclear weapons, placing the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant under the full control of Ukraine and IAEA supervision, and restoring safe access to seaports. In addition, the communique states the need for an exchange of war prisoners on a 'all-for-all' basis and the return to Ukraine of deported and displaced civilians, including children.
On June 14, Putin outlined his conditions for a negotiated end to the conflict in Ukraine. It included the disarming and 'denazifying' of a 'neutral' Ukraine, with Crimea, the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Kherson and Zaporozhye regions all recognised as part of Russia.
Advisor to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that it lacked any 'real peace proposal', while Zelensky himself later labelled it as an 'ultimatum'.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.