Hours before Istanbul talks, Ukraine sends peace accord memorandum to Russia
Russia has received a draft memorandum from Ukraine outlining proposals for a possible peace agreement, Russian state media reported on Sunday. The development comes just hours before scheduled talks between the two countries in Istanbul on Monday. The meeting will start at 13:00 local time in the Ciragan Palace.According to TASS, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky confirmed the receipt of the document. 'The Russian delegation received earlier from Ukraine its version of the memorandum on a peaceful settlement,' said Medinsky, who is leading Moscow's team in the negotiations.advertisementHowever, Medinsky did not reveal details of the Ukrainian proposals.
On May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the new meeting."The Russian side, as agreed, promptly developed a corresponding memorandum, which sets out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis. Our delegation headed by (Presidential Aide) Vladimir Medinsky is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide the necessary clarifications during the second round of resumed direct talks in Istanbul next Monday, June 2," he said.WHAT OUTCOMES EMERGED FROM THE FIRST ROUND?The nations decided to present their versions of a potential future ceasefire during the first meeting. After a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, this agreement was finalized. It was announced that Russia is ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum "on a possible future peace treaty defining a number of positions." The exchange of memorandum is one of the key expectation from the second meeting.advertisementAt Putin's initiative, direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine resumed on May 16 after three years.The first meeting lasted about two hours. The parties agreed on a "1,000 for 1,000" exchange of prisoners of war in addition to their intention to keep pushing for a cease-fire. The peace talks are part of ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the war, which has caused thousands of casualties and displaced millions. Both sides have previously expressed cautious optimism about progress, though major differences remain on issues like territorial control and security guarantees.The meeting in Istanbul is expected to focus on narrowing those gaps and moving closer to a ceasefire or broader agreement.Must Watch
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