Ukraine must accept Moscow's demands or 'surrender,' Russia’s ambassador to UK says
Ukraine must accept Moscow’s terms for ending the war or face further military advances and eventual “surrender,” Russia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrei Kelin, said in a June 18 interview with CNN.
Talking to CNN host Christiane Amanpour, Kelin said Russia is continuing its offensive and sees no need to stop hostilities, publicly acknowledging Moscow’s disregard for U.S.-backed ceasefire efforts.
The comments come as Russia continues to reject a U.S. truce proposal backed by Kyiv and only intensifies both ground operations and aerial strikes against Ukrainian cities.
“We are now on the offensive and Ukraine is in retreat,” Kelin said. “In May, we have taken about 600 square kilometers (230 square miles) of the territory of Ukraine, and we continue to gain more ground."
According to the open-source intelligence group DeepState, Russian forces occupied approximately 449 square kilometers (173 square miles) in May, the highest monthly figure this year, but still well below Kelin’s claim.
Kelin outlined an ultimatum for Kyiv: either agree to a permanent ceasefire on Russia’s terms or face worse consequences.
“For Ukraine, there is a choice: either they will take our conditions right now… or we will continue this drive and Ukraine will have to surrender under much worse conditions,” he said.
In the most recent peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2, Russia again pressed its longstanding maximalist demands, including recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, as well as Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk oblasts — none of which are fully under Moscow’s control.
The Kremlin also insists on Ukraine’s complete military withdrawal from these regions.
The ambassador’s remarks come amid reported preparations for a third round of negotiations with Ukraine after June 22, though no date has been officially confirmed. Kelin described the talks as “stage by stage,” citing prior agreements on prisoner exchanges and humanitarian issues.
Kelin also reiterated long-standing Kremlin demands for Ukraine’s neutrality and the prohibition of NATO membership, calling the alliance “very threatening to us.”
The ambassador insisted on “reestablishment of normal human rights” for ethnic minorities in Ukraine, including Russians, Hungarians, and Poles, a claim Kyiv and Western officials have repeatedly dismissed as a false pretext for invasion.
CNN’s host challenged Kelin on whether such terms amounted to capitulation rather than negotiation. Kelin denied the characterization, maintaining that talks are ongoing and involve “important agreements."
When asked about Russia’s capacity to sustain its military campaign, Kelin claimed Moscow is spending “only 5–7%” of its budget on the war and recruiting up to 60,000 volunteer soldiers monthly, figures Western analysts have not independently verified.
“Only 5–7%” of the budget accounts for around 13.5 trillion rubles ($126 billion). Russia’s spending on war and law enforcement agencies exceeds expenditures on education, healthcare, social policy, and the national economy combined.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York