During peace talks on Monday, Russia conveyed to Ukraine that it would only consider ending the war if Kyiv conceded significant portions of territory and agreed to restrictions on the size of its military, as detailed in a memorandum reported by Russian media.
The terms, formally introduced during negotiations in Istanbul, underscored Moscow’s steadfastness in its long-held war objectives, even in the face of US President Donald Trump’s appeals to halt the “bloodbath” in Ukraine.
Ukraine has consistently dismissed the Russian demands, viewing them as equivalent to capitulation.
Delegations representing the conflicting parties convened for a brief meeting lasting just under an hour, marking only the second round of negotiations since March 2022. In a significant development, both parties have reached an agreement to facilitate the exchange of additional prisoners of war, prioritizing the youngest and those with severe injuries. Furthermore, they have committed to the return of the remains of 12,000 deceased soldiers.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan characterized the gathering as significant, expressing his aspirations to facilitate a meeting in Turkey that would include Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, and former President Trump.
However, discussions surrounding a proposed ceasefire yielded no significant progress, despite calls from Ukraine, its European allies, and Washington for Russia to agree to the terms.
Moscow asserts its intention to pursue a long-term resolution rather than merely a temporary halt in hostilities, while Kyiv contends that Putin lacks genuine interest in achieving peace. Former President Trump has indicated that the United States may abandon its mediation efforts if the two parties fail to show tangible progress toward reaching an agreement.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, leading Kyiv’s delegation, stated that Kyiv has developed its peace roadmap and will assess the Russian document. However, he refrained from providing immediate commentary on it.
Ukraine has suggested the possibility of additional discussions prior to June’s conclusion; however, Umerov emphasised that a direct meeting between Zelensky and Putin is essential to address the numerous contentious issues at hand.
Ukrainian President Zelensky announced that his country has submitted a list of 400 children it claims have been taken to Russia. However, he noted that the Russian delegation has only agreed to discuss the return of 10 of these children. Russia claims that the relocation of children from conflict areas was undertaken to ensure their safety.
Demands from Russia
A memorandum released by the Interfax news agency outlines that any resolution to the ongoing conflict would necessitate international acknowledgment of Crimea, a peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014, along with four additional regions of Ukraine that Moscow asserts as its territory. Ukraine would need to pull back its troops from all of these locations.
Moscow reiterated its demands for Ukraine to adopt a neutral stance, explicitly excluding NATO membership. Additionally, it called for the protection of Russian speakers’ rights, the designation of Russian as an official language, and the implementation of a legal prohibition against the glorification of Nazism. Ukraine has dismissed the accusation of Nazism as unfounded and has refuted claims of discrimination against Russian speakers.
Russia has officially outlined its conditions for a ceasefire as part of a potential peace agreement, offering two proposals that seem unlikely to gain traction with Ukraine.
According to the text, Ukraine’s first option was to initiate a complete military withdrawal from the regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. Russia maintains full control over the first territory, while its hold on the remaining areas is approximately 70 percent.
The second option presented involves Ukraine agreeing to stop military redeployments and accepting a suspension of foreign military aid, satellite communications, and intelligence support. Kyiv is required to lift martial law and conduct presidential and parliamentary elections within a 100-day timeframe.
Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, announced that Moscow proposed a “specific ceasefire of two to three days in certain sections of the front” to facilitate the collection of deceased soldiers’ bodies.
Reuters reviewed a proposed roadmap from Ukraine that outlines Kyiv’s demands following any potential peace agreement. The document indicates that Ukraine seeks to maintain unrestricted military capabilities, rejects any international acknowledgment of Russian sovereignty over territories occupied by Moscow’s forces, and calls for reparations.
Ukraine has set its sights on the Russian bomber fleet.
The situation is escalating, as Russia has initiated its most significant drone assaults of the conflict and is making rapid advancements on the battlefield in May, achieving its quickest pace in half a year.
On Sunday, Ukraine announced the launch of 117 drones in an operation referred to as “Spider’s Web,” targeting Russian nuclear-capable long-range bomber planes stationed at airfields in Siberia and the far northern regions of the country.
Satellite imagery indicated that the attacks resulted in significant damage; however, the two parties provided contradictory reports regarding the severity of the impact.
Military analysts from the West characterized the strikes, occurring thousands of miles from the front lines, as among the most daring operations conducted by Ukraine during the conflict.
Russia’s strategic bomber fleet constitutes a crucial element of the nation’s “triad” of military capabilities, which includes ground-launched and submarine-launched missiles. This triad is integral to the country’s nuclear arsenal, which is recognized as the largest globally. Amid ongoing tensions, the United States and its allies have
approached the Ukraine conflict with caution, particularly in light of persistent warnings from President Putin regarding Russia’s nuclear capabilities. This has raised concerns about the potential escalation into a larger global conflict.
An official from the current US administration has stated that neither Trump nor the White House received prior notification regarding the attack. A former administration official indicated that Ukraine often withholds its operational plans from Washington for security reasons.
A government official from the UK stated that the British government was not informed in advance.
Zelensky stated that the operation, which utilized drones hidden within wooden sheds, has played a crucial role in restoring partners’ confidence in Ukraine’s capacity to persist in the conflict.
“Ukraine has declared that it will not surrender and will not yield to any ultimatums,” he stated during an online news briefing.
“However, our intention is not to engage in conflict or showcase our power; instead, we are compelled to do so because the adversary refuses to cease hostilities.
