Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko said that any settlement agreement must be signed on the Ukrainian side by a representative whose legitimacy is unquestionable.

He explained to reporters that peace agreements must be protected not only by their legal force but also from any internal political shifts that could nullify them. Grushko stressed that it is crucial for the Ukrainian signatory to possess full and uncontested legitimacy and not be vulnerable to attempts to undermine the legal status of the future agreements.