Russia's new demands: Withdrawal or escalation in Ukraine
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 yet managed to capture, reports the media. Otherwise, Russia threatened to advance into 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.
- Should this be refused, Russia threatens to advance into the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. This represents further escalation of the conflict.
- Russia is prepared to wage 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 areas it has not captured, but also threatened to occupy the Kharkiv and Sumy regions if these demands are not met.
This condition was presented as essential for concluding a ceasefire. The Russian delegation emphasised that it is prepared 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 desire war but is ready to fight for a year, two, three, or even longer.
Medinsky reminded that Russia fought Sweden for 21 years and questioned how long Ukraine is prepared to persist, adding that some present at the table might endure further personal losses.
Talks in Istanbul
On Friday in Istanbul, talks were held between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine, marking the first such meeting in three years. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation was led 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.
