Putin named the following as the conditions for ending the war against Ukraine: a written commitment from Western leaders to stop NATOʼs expansion eastward and to lift some of the sanctions against Russia.
Reuters reports this, citing three Russian sources familiar with the negotiations.
According to sources, Putin wants Western powers to formally commit to preventing Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and other former Soviet republics from joining NATO.
Putin also demands that Ukraine remain neutral, that Russia return its frozen assets, lift some of the sanctions, and that Ukraine "protect Russian-speaking citizens".
One Reuters source noted that if Putin realizes that he will not reach a peace agreement on his own terms, he will try to show Ukrainians and Europeans that "peace tomorrow will be even more painful".
NATO has previously stated that they will not change their "open door" policy just because Moscow demands it.
What preceded
On May 16, the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 were held in Istanbul. The meeting lasted a little over an hour. According to journalists, Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from a number of territories to ensure a ceasefire and threatened to occupy Kharkiv and Sumy regions, as well as fight "to the end".
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that at the meeting, the Ukrainian and Russian sides discussed a prisoner exchange in the "1000 for 1000" format and a ceasefire. The parties reached an agreement on the exchange — three prisoner exchanges in this format have already taken place.
On May 19, Trump spoke with Putin, as well as with Zelensky and a number of European leaders. Putin said after the conversation that he was ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine that includes a ceasefire. Trump says that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war”.
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