Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on April 1 that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should have made a decision to withdraw Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk region the day before. The representative of the Russian Federation emphasized that this decision, in his opinion, could stop the “hot phase of this war.”
This is reported by Finway
Statements from both sides regarding Russia’s demands
“Regarding the two months, it’s not about two months. Zelensky must make a decision today for Ukrainian troops to leave the territory of Donbas. And to leave, to exit beyond the administrative borders of the ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’,” Peskov said.
According to Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia is demanding during negotiations that Ukraine withdraw its troops from the Donetsk region within two months. The president noted that the Russians claim they intend to capture eastern Ukraine and warn that if Ukrainian troops do not withdraw, “there will be other conditions” for ending the war.
ISW’s assessment of the situation on the front
The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) noted after Zelensky’s statements that the pace of the Russian military’s offensive on Ukrainian territory has significantly slowed down. Ukrainian forces continue to successfully defend themselves and repel enemy attacks on various fronts.
ISW analysts emphasize that as of the end of March 2026, “significant Russian gains on the front, let alone a complete victory, are not inevitable.” Over the past six months, from October 2025 to March 2026, Russia’s positions on the battlefield have changed due to Ukrainian counterattacks, medium-range strikes, the blocking of Russian use of Starlink terminals on Ukrainian territory, and attempts by the Kremlin to limit the operation of Telegram. These factors, according to experts, have only deepened the problems among the Russian military.
According to the ISW report, during the first three months of 2026, Russian troops advanced an average of 5.5 square kilometers per day. In comparison, in the first quarter of 2025, this figure was 11.06 square kilometers per day.
ISW believes that the Kremlin is deliberately creating a “false sense of urgency” around the issue of withdrawing Ukrainian troops, trying to force Kyiv to concede those parts of the Donetsk region that Russian troops have failed to capture in battles.