"Putin Claims Russia's Army Withdrawal from Kyiv Was at Ukraine's Request"

Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia withdrew its army from Kyiv last year because it was "asked to do so to create conditions" for signing a peace treaty. However, the statement has been removed from the Kremlin's Telegram channel and is not available in the textual transcript on the Kremlin's website. Putin previously claimed that the withdrawal was to create conditions for negotiations, emphasizing the importance of Ukraine's "neutral status" to Russia.