Russia demands Ukrainian withdrawal, threatens further attacks
During Friday's negotiations in Istanbul, the Russian delegation demanded that Ukrainian armed forces leave those parts of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions that Russia has not managed to capture, reports the media. Otherwise, Russia threatened to take the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
What do you need to know?
- Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. This demand was presented as a condition for a ceasefire.
- If refused, Russia threatens to take the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. This is another step in the escalation of the conflict.
- Russia is prepared to persist in war for many years—this was directly stated by the head of the Russian delegation during the talks in Istanbul.
The Suspilne portal reported that Russia not only demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the areas it has not captured, but also threatened to occupy the Kharkiv and Sumy regions if refused.
This condition was presented as essential for concluding a ceasefire. The Russian delegation emphasized that it is ready to wage war for many years.
Russia sets conditions and threatens
Similar information appeared earlier on the profile of Oliver Carroll, a journalist from "The Economist," on platform X. Carroll wrote that Russia will agree to a ceasefire only if Ukraine withdraws from the four "annexed" regions that Russia does not fully control. Moscow also threatened to take the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.
Carroll also quoted Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation, who stated that Russia does not want war but is ready to fight for a year, two, three, or even longer.
Read also: Diplomatic talks have yielded nothing. Now Russia begins a new attack
Medinsky reminded that Russia fought Sweden for 21 years and asked how long Ukraine is prepared to fight, adding that some present at the table might lose more loved ones.
Talks in Istanbul
On Friday in Istanbul, talks were held between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine, the first such meeting in three years. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and the Russian delegation by Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor to Vladimir Putin.
Umerov stated that during the talks, the possibility of a prisoner exchange at a ratio of 1,000 to 1,000 was discussed. There were also discussions about a ceasefire and preparations for a potential meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, according to the Ukrainska Pravda portal.
Earlier, on Friday in Istanbul, there were trilateral talks between the delegations of Ukraine, the United States, and Turkey.
