During the second round of peace talks held in Istanbul on Monday, the Russian delegation presented a formal peace memorandum to their Ukrainian counterparts, detailing the Kremlin's conditions for a full resolution to the ongoing war and an immediate ceasefire. The meeting, which lasted approximately 75 minutes, offered little indication of compromise, with Russia’s demands largely mirroring previously stated positions.
Key Terms for Full Settlement
According to the memorandum, Russia’s conditions for a comprehensive peace agreement include:
Recognition of Sovereignty: Ukraine must formally recognize Russian sovereignty over the territories of Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Crimea, and withdraw all Ukrainian military forces from these areas.
Ukrainian Neutrality: Ukraine would adopt a neutral status with a permanent ban on foreign military presence within its borders.
Non-Proliferation: Ukraine must confirm that it does not possess nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction.
Military Limitations: Limits would be placed on the size and scope of Ukraine’s military and security forces.
Cultural and Linguistic Rights: Ukraine would be required to restore the rights of ethnic Russians and Russian-speaking citizens and grant the Russian language official status.
Political Restrictions: Legislation would be enacted to ban nationalist parties and organizations within Ukraine.
Sanctions Relief: All international sanctions imposed on Russia would need to be lifted.
Religious Freedom: The ban on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) would be rescinded.
Ceasefire Options Presented
Russia also outlined two potential frameworks for an immediate ceasefire:
Option 1: Immediate 30-Day Ceasefire
Ukraine would agree to a one-month ceasefire and begin the withdrawal of its forces from Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk to a distance deemed acceptable by Moscow.
Option 2: “Package Proposal”
This option would take effect within 30 days of Ukraine initiating the territorial withdrawal outlined in Option 1. It includes the lifting of martial law in Ukraine, the scheduling of presidential elections, a prohibition on troop deployments near the Russian border, a halt to foreign military aid and intelligence-sharing, and the withdrawal of all foreign military personnel from Ukrainian territory.
Despite the stalemate on core issues, both parties did reach agreement on limited humanitarian measures. Russia and Ukraine agreed to exchange all seriously wounded prisoners and all prisoners under the age of 25 on an “all-for-all” basis. Talks are ongoing regarding the exchange of soldiers’ remains, with both sides reportedly proposing a 6,000-for-6,000 body exchange.
Given the significant gap between Russia’s demands and Ukraine’s own proposals—which include a complete and unconditional 30-day ceasefire without territorial concessions—observers consider it unlikely that the current memorandum will serve as a basis for agreement. Nonetheless, the next round of negotiations is expected to take place between June 20 and the end of the month.