Ukrainians have been banned from having any negotiations with Russian President, Vladimir Putin, under a decree issued by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and published on his website on Tuesday.
The decree, first announced on Friday, followed a decision by Ukraine’s Council for Security and Defence, in reaction to the annexation of four Ukrainian regions in the south and east of the country.
The council, made up of cabinet members and the heads of the armed forces and security services, and headed by Zelensky, saw the annexation as a violation of international law.
While Russia has occupied large parts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson, and has declared them annexed, Ukrainian forces have been gradually pushing them out of these regions.
Kiev has virtually ruled out talks before a complete Russian withdrawal as its forces retake large parts of the occupied regions.
