The Kremlin on Wednesday dismissed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's 10-point peace plan, saying that proposals to end the conflict in Ukraine must take into account what it calls "today's realities" of four Ukrainian regions having joined Russia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "There can be no peace plan for Ukraine that does not take into account today's realities regarding Russian territory, with the entry of four regions into Russia. Plans that do not take these realities into account cannot be peaceful."
Russia declared Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as part of its territory in September after referendums condemned by Ukraine and Western countries. Russia does not fully control any of the four regions.
President Zelenskiy has been promoting his 10-point peace plan, which he first announced in November, discussing it with U.S. President Joe Biden among others, and urging world leaders to hold a Global Peace Summit based on it.
The plan envisions the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine's internationally-recognised territory, which would mean Russia giving up both the four regions it claims to haveannexed, and Crimea, which it seized in 2014.
The Kremlin has repeatedly said it is open to peace talks with Ukraine, but sees no willingness to negotiate on the part of Kyiv.
It comes as Russian forces stepped up mortar and artillery attacks on the recently liberated city of Kherson in southern Ukraine on Wednesday, Ukraine's military said, while also exerting constant pressure along front lines in eastern regions of the country.
Russia fired 33 missiles from multiple rocket launchers at civilian targets in Kherson in the 24 hours to early Wednesday, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said.
Air raid sirens sounded across the country and Ukrainian social media reports said the nationwide alert may have been declared after Russian jets stationed in Belarus took off.
Fighting was particularly intense around the strategic eastern city of Bakhmut in Donetsk province and Svatove, further north in Luhansk province, Britain's defence ministry said.
Ukrainian military analyst Oleh Zhdanov said fighting had intensified with Russia deploying armoured vehicles and tanks
