As US-backed peace talks in Europe continue, Putin has made it clear that only one condition must be met for peace: The complete absorption of the entirety of Ukraine into Russia. At a conference in Bern, Switzerland, yesterday, a Russian diplomat on behalf of the President said that the Ukrainian government giving up its sovereignty entirely would be the most effective way to ensure lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

The diplomat, whose name is not transcribable to English, also added that other countries accepting Russian sovereignty could only help the situation, and suggested that many other conflicts across the world could also be solved by letting Mother Russia take the wheel. The Kremlin has released a list of countries they recommend go forward with this, including the Baltic States, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Poland, and half of Germany.

US officials have expressed mild disapproval at this proposal. Secretary Rubio said in a statement, “The deal isn’t going to be perfect, but we’re working with what we’ve got.”