Kiev, 4 October 2022 (dpa/MIA) – Ukrainians are from now on banned from conducting negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin under a decree issued by President Volodymyr Zelensky and published on his website on Tuesday. The decree, first announced on Friday, follows a decision by Ukraine's Council for Security and Defence reacting to the annexation by Russia of four Ukrainian regions in the south and east of the country. The council, which is headed by Zelensky and is made up of cabinet members and the heads of the armed forces and security services, sees the annexation as a violation of international law. While Russia has occupied large parts of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya and Kherson and has declared them annexed, Ukrainian forces have been gradually pushing them out of these regions. Following the Russian invasion on February 24, talks did take place between representatives of the two sides, although the Kremlin attached conditions to any negotiations at presidential level that were unacceptable to Ukraine. Kiev has virtually ruled out talks before a complete Russian withdrawal as its forces retake large parts of the occupied regions.