Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must order Ukraine's armed forces to stop firing and leave the Donbas and other Russian-claimed regions before Moscow and Kyiv can enter peace talks, Kommersant reported on May 13.

Peskov's comments came after Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 9 that the "matter is coming to an end," which appeared to signal confidence in further battlefield gains. Russian commanders have reportedly told Putin they could seize the whole Donbas region by fall, after which Moscow could potentially broaden its demands to include more concessions in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.