Kremlin comments on Ukraine talks
Expecting immediate breakthroughs in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would be 'incorrect,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
His remarks come after the second round of revived negotiations between Moscow and Kiev was held in Istanbul on Monday. After the talks, both sides announced that they had agreed to conduct the largest prisoner exchange to date and indicated that direct contact would continue.
The two delegations also exchanged draft memorandums outlining a roadmap towards an eventual peace deal.
Commenting on the talks, Peskov emphasized on Tuesday that the 'issue of regulation is extremely complex and consists of a large number of nuances.'
'The project of the memorandum we submitted to the Ukrainian side contains many provisions, including multi variability, all aimed at eliminating the root causes of this conflict and moving towards a sustainable resolution trajectory,' the spokesman said.
Peskov stressed that given the complexities of the negotiations, it would be 'incorrect to expect any immediate solutions or breakthroughs here.' However, he noted that certain agreements have nevertheless been reached, including a new prisoner swap.
The spokesman stated that Russia is now expecting Ukraine's response to the memorandum that was submitted on Monday.
Moscow's memorandum, which was made public after the negotiations, contains a number of demands, including Ukrainian neutrality, international recognition of Russia's new territories, and military restrictions for Kiev.
Specifically, it demands that Kiev withdraw all troops from the regions that have joined Russia – Crimea, the Donbass republics, and Kherson and Zaporozhye regions – while formally recognizing these areas as Russian territory. Ukraine must also enshrine neutrality and non-nuclear status, withdraw from conflicting international treaties, disband nationalist armed groups, and limit its military capabilities.
The proposal also requires Ukraine to ensure rights for Russian-speaking citizens, make Russian an official language, end religious persecution, ban Nazi and nationalist organizations, and lift sanctions on Russia.
According to the proposal, a final peace treaty between Moscow and Kiev can only be signed after elections are held in Ukraine and endorsed by a legally binding UN Security Council resolution.
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