Lifting sanctions intrinsic part of Ukraine peace settlement: Moscow

• 

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Saturday indicated that lifting all anti-Russia sanctions and canceling all claims against Moscow in international judicial instances should be an intrinsic part of a peace settlement in Ukraine.

In a statement, Zakharova pointed out that "to ensure sustainable peace, it is necessary to push for an end to deliveries of weapons and mercenaries to Ukraine, a cessation of hostilities, Ukraine's return to a neutral non-aligned status, and international recognition of the right of peoples to self-determination."

"Ukraine must be demilitarized and denazified, all threats emanating from its territory must be eliminated, its non-nuclear weapon state status must be secured, and the rights of the Russian-speaking population and national minorities must be guaranteed," the Russian Spokesperson underlined.

She continued, "the cancellation of all illegal sanctions and lawsuits against Russia in international courts should become an integral part [of this settlement]," Zakharova said in a statement.

It is noteworthy that on Friday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, on the grounds of alleged "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has repeatedly stated that Russia is not a party to the ICC and its jurisdiction is not recognized by Moscow, therefore, any of its decisions against the country are null from the legal point of view.

Read more: Biden says ICC’s case against Putin is ‘justified’