Kremlin's ultimatum: Demands for ceasefire with Ukraine
During the discussions on Friday in Istanbul, Russia presented Ukraine with a series of conditions that must be met before a ceasefire can be established. Among these, the Kremlin demands recognition of the annexation of Crimea and other regions and the adoption of a neutral status, as reported by Bloomberg on Saturday.
During the talks on Friday in Istanbul, the Russian delegation presented Ukraine with a list of conditions that must be fulfilled for a ceasefire to be reached. Russia demands that Ukraine adopt a neutral status, which means no foreign military presence or weapons of mass destruction on its territory.
Additionally, Moscow expects Ukraine to officially renounce claims for reparations and recognize the annexation of Crimea and four other occupied regions.
Kremlin's demands on Ukraine
The Kremlin has also set the condition of withdrawing Ukrainian troops from the Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, which are to be handed over to Russia. Russia is seeking international recognition of these territories, including Crimea, as part of the Russian Federation. According to Bloomberg, Vladimir Putin will only agree to a ceasefire once these demands are met.
First talks in three years
The meeting in Istanbul was the first direct dialogue between representatives of the Russian and Ukrainian authorities in three years. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation was headed by Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor to Putin. The talks also included discussions on the possibility of a prisoner exchange, with a proposed ratio of 1,000 to 1,000, and preparations for a potential meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
