Russia to present peace 'memorandum' to Ukraine at new talks
MOSCOW: Russia said Wednesday it had drafted a peace 'memorandum' outlining its terms for ending the Ukraine conflict and would present it to Kyiv at a new round of direct talks in Istanbul next Monday.
Ukraine did not immediately comment on the announcement.
Diplomatic efforts to end the fighting have accelerated in recent weeks, with the two sides meeting for their first face-to-face talks in over three years earlier this month in Istanbul.
'Our delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide the necessary explanations during a second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, June 2,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
'I would like to once again express our gratitude to our Turkish partners for providing a hospitable venue, as confirmed yesterday by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during his visit to Moscow,' Lavrov added.
Medinsky, a Russian political scientist and former culture minister, led Russia's negotiating team during the first round of talks on May 16.
US President Donald Trump has put pressure on both sides to broker an end to the three-year conflict.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
29 minutes ago
- The Star
Ukraine keeps Russia guessing over participation in June 2 peace talks
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan meets Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich KYIV/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Ukraine on Friday resisted pressure from Moscow and Washington to commit itself to attending peace talks with Russia on June 2, saying it first needed to see the proposals Russian negotiators plan to bring to the talks. After U.S. President Donald Trump urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a peace deal to end their three-year-old war, Russia proposed sitting down with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul. Kyiv responded by saying it was committed in principle to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals, which it had still not received. "We are ready for dialogue, but we demand clarity - clear and, most importantly, balanced proposals," the Ukrainian president's chief of staff Andriy Yermak said in remarks aired on national television. The war, the biggest on the European continent since World War Two, began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Expectations for the talks are modest because the positions staked out so far by the two sides are far apart and work between them has yet to begin in earnest on narrowing the gap. Nevertheless, both Kyiv and Moscow are keen to demonstrate to Trump that they are on board with his efforts to end the conflict. Kyiv is seeking more U.S. military aid, while Moscow hopes he will ease economic sanctions on Russia. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian delegation would be travelling to Istanbul and would be ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning. "At the moment, everyone is focused on the direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations. A list of conditions for a temporary truce is being developed," Peskov told reporters. Reuters reported earlier this week that Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop enlarging NATO eastwards. Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said earlier on Friday that Russia's concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was fair and the United States did not want to see Ukraine in the U.S.-led military alliance. Commenting on Kellogg's statement, Peskov said: "We are pleased that these explanations by the president are understood, including in Washington." TURKISH HOSTS Turkey's government hosted a previous round of Ukrainian-Russian talks in Istanbul on May 16 -- which ended with no breakthrough -- and has again offered its services as a mediator. Speaking on a visit to Kyiv, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters: "As long as (the sides) remain at the negotiating table, progress can surely be seen." If the talks go ahead in Istanbul, the next step would be to try to host a meeting between Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, he added. But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who appeared alongside Fidan at a news conference, sounded a note of caution. "In order for the next planned meeting to be substantive and meaningful, it is important to receive a document in advance so that the delegation that will attend has the authority to discuss the relevant positions," Sybiha said. Sybiha did not spell out what Kyiv would do if it did not receive the Russian document, or set out a deadline for receiving it. "We want to end this war this year, and we are interested in establishing a truce, whether it is for 30 days, or for 50 days, or for 100 days," he said. Zelenskiy was later shown meeting and shaking hands with Fidan in Kyiv in footage released by the Turkish foreign ministry. Russia has said its delegation at the Istanbul talks will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide who led the Russian team at the previous round of talks. (Additional reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu, Anna Pruchnicka and Tom Balmforth; Editing by Ros Russell)
The Star
29 minutes ago
- The Star
Second Georgian opposition leader placed in pre-trial detention as crackdown widens
Nika Melia, one of the leaders of the Coalition for Change opposition group, charged with failing to appear before the Georgian parliament's temporary investigative commission, attends a court hearing in Tbilisi, Georgia May 30, 2025. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze/Pool/ File Photo TBILISI (Reuters) -A Georgian court on Friday placed Nika Melia, a leader of the country's main opposition party, in pre-trial detention, amid a widening crackdown against a pro-Western opposition that has staged months of anti-government protests. Melia, a top leader of the Coalition for Change opposition bloc, was detained on Thursday for refusing to appear at a parliamentary inquiry into alleged crimes committed under jailed former President Mikheil Saakashvili between 2004 and 2012. The length of the detention was not immediately clear. Last week, a judge placed another leader of the Coalition for Change, Zurab Japaridze, in pre-trial detention for refusing to appear before the inquiry. Friday's hearing was disorderly, with Melia sentenced after being removed from the courtroom for throwing water at the judge from the dock. Previously one of the most pro-Western and democratic of the Soviet Union's successor states, Georgia under the leadership of the Georgian Dream party is accused by the ruling bloc's critics of moving in an authoritarian and pro-Russian direction. Georgian Dream says it still wants the country to eventually join the European Union but wants to preserve what it calls Georgia's traditional values and also to avoid conflict with Russia, its giant neighbour and former imperial ruler. Separately on Friday, another judge jailed a 19-year-old student activist for 12 days for insulting a Georgian Dream lawmaker she had called a "Russian slave" in a cafe this month. Georgian Dream, after winning an election last November that the opposition says was rigged, said it would halt talks on joining the EU till 2028. EU membership has wide support among Georgians and the goal has been enshrined in the constitution. The ruling party's decision to suspend the talks sparked mass street protests, prompting a violent crackdown and large-scale arrests by security forces. Georgian Dream is dominated by billionaire ex-prime minister Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is widely seen as Georgia's de facto leader. In December, the United States sanctioned Ivanishvili for what it said were actions aimed at dismantling Georgian democracy for the benefit of Russia. (Reporting by Felix LightEditing by Gareth Jones)
Herald Malaysia
2 hours ago
- Herald Malaysia
Kyiv and allies welcome Pope Leo's Vatican peace talks offer
US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and several of Kyiv's European allies — including Paris and Berlin — gave a positive response May 19 to Pope Leo XIV's offer to host negotiations between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican, according to Italy's prime minister. May 30, 2025 Pope Leo XIV receives a gift from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting at the Vatican May 18, 2025. (CNS/Vatican Media) VATICAN: US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and several of Kyiv's European allies — including Paris and Berlin — gave a positive response May 19 to Pope Leo XIV's offer to host negotiations between Ukraine and Russia at the Vatican, according to Italy's prime minister. President Trump, President Zelenskyy, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a joint phone call following a separate conversation between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. During the call, 'the Holy Father's willingness to host peace talks at the Vatican was viewed positively,' Meloni said in a statement. The call, she added, aimed 'to work toward the immediate opening of negotiations between the parties, in hopes of securing a cease-fire as soon as possible and laying the groundwork for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.' In remarks to representatives of Eastern Christian churches recently, Pope Leo XIV offered to mediate global conflicts, including the war in Ukraine. 'The Holy See is available for enemies to meet and look each other in the eye, so that nations may regain hope and the dignity that belongs to them — the dignity of peace,' he said. Referencing the many ongoing conflicts around the world — 'from the Holy Land to Ukraine, from Lebanon to Syria, from the Middle East to Tigray,' in Ethiopia, 'and to the Caucasus' — Pope Leo lamented the violence and called for efforts toward peace. 'I will do everything I can to help peace take root,' he vowed. Over the weekend, he also received US Vice President JD Vance in a private audience. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, confirmed the pope's willingness to host a 'direct meeting' between Ukrainian and Russian leaders, according to media reports. --LCI (https://
