The territorial issue remains a fundamental issue for Russia when it wants to reach an agreement to end the fighting in Ukraine, Russian news agency TASS reported after the 3-party peace talks last weekend in Abu Dhabi.
There is nothing secret, this is our consistent stance, our president's stance, that the territorial issue, part of the Anchorage formula, is of fundamental importance to the Russian side" - TASS quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
The "Anchorage Formula" refers to what Russia believes has been agreed upon by US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Anchorage, Alaska, USA in August last year, according to a source close to the Kremlin.
The source also added that the agreement in Alaska expects Ukraine to grant Russia control of the entire Donbass and freeze the battle lines elsewhere in eastern and southern Ukraine as conditions for reaching a peace agreement for the conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly emphasized that Russia will control the entire Donbass region by force unless Ukraine abandons this region in the peace agreement. Currently, Russian forces are controlling up to 90% of the Donbass region.
Kiev has repeatedly declared that it will not give Moscow territory that Russian forces did not gain in the fighting.
According to RIA news agency, Mr. Peskov positively assessed "constructive negotiations" with Ukraine in Abu Dhabi.
The trilateral negotiation, mediated by the US, ended without reaching an agreement. The next negotiations are expected to take place next weekend.
