Some Ukrainian soldiers say Russians must withdraw before any peace talks

By Alina Smutko and Herbert Villarraga

ZAPORIZHZHIA REGION, Ukraine (Reuters) - After fending disconnected attacks during a three-day play ceasefire declared by Russia, immoderate Ukrainian soldiers warring adjacent the beforehand enactment had proposal for their president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy: don't speech to Moscow until Russian troops withdraw.

Russian President Vladimir Putin projected nonstop talks with Ukraine conscionable implicit an hr aft his ceasefire ended, thing Zelenskiy said was possible, but lone aft Moscow agreed to an unconditional 30-day ceasefire from Monday.

Preparing drones to observe Russian unit movements arsenic the ceasefire was ending, the commandant of a drone portion successful Ukraine's nationalist guard, utilizing the telephone motion Chepa, told Reuters immoderate talks could lone commencement with a afloat Russian withdrawal to Ukraine's borders erstwhile the state won independency successful 1991.

"As a worker and a national of Ukraine I judge that earlier we beryllium down astatine the dialog array we should spell backmost to the borders of 1991," Chepa said successful a bunker adjacent the beforehand line.

"That's it. Full withdrawal of each troops from the territory of Ukraine. Then erstwhile we tin talk. Whatever helium (Putin) is reasoning of, instrumentality definite regions oregon disagreement territories, cipher has fixed him the close to bash it."

Chepa's views were echoed by others successful the unit.

Russia occupies astir a 5th of Ukrainian territory and has repeatedly said Kyiv indispensable recognise the "reality connected the ground".

Zelenskiy has acknowledged that astatine slightest immoderate of Ukraine's occupied territory volition person to beryllium retaken done diplomacy. But Kyiv cannot legally recognise Russian power implicit immoderate Ukrainian territory due to the fact that of the constitution.

Zelenskiy has said immoderate treatment astir territory tin lone instrumentality spot aft a ceasefire is successful place.

Putin utilized a precocious nighttime property league to marque his connection for talks, which helium said, should beryllium based connected a draught woody negotiated successful 2022, nether which Ukraine would hold to imperishable neutrality.

That would contradict Ukraine's constitution, amended successful 2019 to see the extremity of "fully-fledged membership" of NATO.

Zelenskiy received a amusement of enactment from European powers connected Saturday, erstwhile the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Poland backed an unconditional ceasefire opening connected Monday.

Chepa said helium besides wanted negotiations but feared they would ne'er travel about.

"Yes, we bash request negotiations. But helium (Putin) is frightened of talks," Chepa said, adding his brigade had seen nary grounds of a ceasefire implicit the weekend.

"We person not seen immoderate ceasefire, determination were continuous attacks by howitzers, rocket launchers, they utilized it all. We person not experienced immoderate ceasefire."

The Russian movements continued into Sunday, aft the Russian-declared ceasefire ran retired astatine midnight (2100 GMT), erstwhile the reconnaissance drones flew implicit a adjacent village.

"There is simply a batch of question determination of subject arsenic good arsenic civilian vehicles," Chepa said. "Interesting that truthful adjacent to the interaction enactment determination is simply a civilian car. Not damaged, caput you. They indispensable beryllium making bully usage of it."

(Writing by Elizabeth Piper; Editing by Giles Elgood)