Russia: Special Op Will be Over When Ukraine Meets Our Demand

Russia’s will put an end to its ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine when its goals are met, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya told reporters on Tuesday.

"When the goals of the special military operations are achieved, it will stop," Nebenzya said.

When asked when a universal ceasefire will be achieved, Nebenzya replied, "It will take place when conditions that were put forward by Russia will be implemented."

Those conditions are "demilitarization, denazification of Ukraine, no threat which would come from the territory from that country to Russia. No joining NATO," he further stated.

Ukraine No More Interested in Joining NATO?

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said he is no longer pressing for NATO membership for his country, a delicate issue that was one of Russia's stated reasons for invading its pro-Western neighbor.

"I have cooled down regarding this question a long time ago after we understood that ... NATO is not prepared to accept Ukraine," Zelensky said in an interview aired Monday night on ABC News. "The alliance is afraid of controversial things, and confrontation with Russia.”

Moscow has said it does not want Kyiv to join transatlantic alliance created at the start of the Cold War to protect Europe from the Soviet Union. In more recent years, NATO has expanded further and further east to take in former Soviet bloc countries, something the Kremlin sees as a threat.