The Kremlin refuses to give up the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions because Russia considers these territories strategically important.

Axar.az informs that this was reported by The Washington Post.

The publication notes that the US has interpreted Vladimir Putin’s hint about possibly halting Russia’s attacks on Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as a proposal to withdraw troops.

“A source involved in the negotiations stated that the Kremlin has proposed to abandon Donbas — the Luhansk and Donetsk regions — in exchange for a ceasefire with Ukraine. Moscow has not made any conditions in return. The Russian side has no intention of returning Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which provide a strategic land bridge to occupied Crimea,” the publication said.