Russia Says No Truce in Ukraine Without Addressing 'Root Causes,' Envoy Tells OSCE

Russia will not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine unless what it calls the root causes of the conflict are addressed, Dmitry Polyansky, Russia's envoy to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), said, according to a report by Russian state news agency TASS.

Polyansky said Moscow's conditions for halting hostilities are well known and have not changed, TASS reported. The envoy did not provide new details on what specific steps would satisfy Russia's demands, according to the report.

Russian officials have previously described the root causes of the conflict as including Ukraine's aspirations to join NATO and broader security arrangements in Europe that Moscow says threaten its interests. These positions have been reiterated by Russian officials in various forums, including the OSCE, TASS said.

The statement comes amid ongoing international discussions about the war in Ukraine, which began with Russia's invasion in February 2022. Various diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire or peace settlement have been undertaken by multiple parties, though none have resulted in an end to the conflict.

TASS did not provide additional context on the specific OSCE meeting or forum at which Polyansky made these remarks, nor did it include responses from Ukrainian officials or other OSCE member states.