Ukraine to set out roadmap for peace at Istanbul talks, document shows
FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a press briefing following phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump, amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine, May 19, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Peter/File Photo
KYIV - Ukrainian negotiators at talks scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul will present to the Russian side a proposed roadmap for reaching a lasting peace settlement, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters.
The proposed roadmap begins with a full ceasefire of at least 30 days, to be followed by the return of all prisoners held by each side, and of Ukrainian children taken into Russian-held territory, and then a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Under the blueprint, Moscow and Kyiv -- with the participation of the United States and Europe -- will work to hash out the terms on which they can agree to put a complete end to their three-year-old war, the biggest conflict in Europe since World War Two.
Ukrainian officials said earlier this week that they had sent the blueprint to the Russian side in advance of the Istanbul talks.
The framework Ukrainian terms for a peace deal as set out in the document seen by Reuters are largely the same as the terms previously put forward by Kyiv.
Those include no restrictions on Ukraine's military strength after a peace deal is struck, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow's forces, and reparations for Ukraine.
The document also stated that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory.
Those terms diverge considerably from demands that Russia has made publicly in the past few weeks.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a deal to end their war, and Russia has proposed a second round of face-to-face talks with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul.
Kyiv said earlier this week it is committed to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out their proposals which has not materialised.
Nevertheless, Zelenskiy said on Sunday that he will send a delegation of his officials to meet their Russian counterparts in Istanbul. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Trump says Iran deal would not allow 'any' uranium enrichment
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump on Monday (Jun 2) ruled out allowing Iran to enrich uranium under any nuclear deal between the foes - as Tehran defended what it said was its "peaceful" pursuit of fuel for power generation. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention in five rounds of talks since April to ink a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. "Under our potential Agreement - WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!" Trump said on his Truth Social network after the Axios news outlet said Washington's offer would let Tehran enrich some of the nuclear fuel. Republican Trump also blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the impasse, saying the Democrat "should have stopped Iran a long time ago from 'enriching'". Axios said the latest proposal that Washington had sent Tehran on Saturday would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, for an amount of time that has yet to be determined. Iran has insisted that it has "nothing to hide" on its nuclear program. Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: "If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached." The remarks came after Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Monday called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment. "NEED FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY" The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent - close to the roughly 90 per cent level needed for atomic weapons. "There is a need for more transparency - this is very, very clear - in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities," Grossi said ahead of meeting Araghchi. Grossi added that some of the report's findings "may be uncomfortable for some, and we are ... used to being criticised". Iran has rejected the report, warning it would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions "exploit" it. "Some countries are trying to abuse this agency to pave the way for escalation with Iran. I hope that this agency does not fall into this trap," Araghchi said of the IAEA. Iran meanwhile pushed for the United States to drop sanctions that have crippled its economy as a condition for a nuclear agreement with Trump's administration. Araghchi said on Saturday that he had received "elements" of the US proposal for a nuclear deal following the five rounds of talks, mediated by Oman. "WITH OR WITHOUT A DEAL" Both Araghchi and Grossi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who praised the US-Iran talks and called for "de-escalation in order to prevent a slide into a full-fledged regional war". On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: "We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted." "So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue," he said. The US envoy in the nuclear talks said last month that Trump's administration would oppose any Iranian enrichment. "An enrichment program can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment," Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News. Following a phone call with Witkoff the day before about the ongoing nuclear talks, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a peaceful solution and a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, saying in Monday's press conference that "the region is already experiencing enough problems and crises". He warned that military confrontation would create "a state of chaos from which no one will be spared". Iran has vowed to keep enriching uranium "with or without a deal" on its nuclear program. The United States has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal that the White House called "acceptable" and in Tehran's "best interest" to accept, US media reported on Saturday. The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, said the proposal calls on Iran to stop all enrichment and suggests creating a regional grouping to produce nuclear power.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Mongolia PM loses parliament confidence vote, resigns: Statement
Protesters rally to demand the resignation of PM Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene over alleged economic mismanagement and corruption involving his family in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. PHOTO: AFP ULAANBAATAR - Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene resigned on June 3, a parliamentary statement said, after losing a confidence vote among lawmakers. The secret ballot followed days of protests in the capital Ulaanbaatar against alleged corruption. Mr Oyun-Erdene will remain as caretaker prime minister until his successor is appointed within 30 days, the statement said. Mongolia, a landlocked democracy in northern Asia, has battled deep-seated corruption for decades. Many in the country believe that the country's wealthy elite are hoarding the profits of a years-long coal mining boom at the expense of the general population. Since Mr Oyun-Erdene took power in 2021, Mongolia has plummeted in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. The country has seen frequent protests and unrest, and hundreds of young people turned out in Ulaanbaatar last week calling for his resignation. Fuelling public outrage are accusations that members of the prime minister's family are enjoying lavish lifestyles far beyond what a civil servant on the public dime could afford. In a statement to AFP in May, the prime minister's office said it 'vehemently' denied the allegations, describing them as a 'smear'. Concerns over the economy and rising living costs have also stoked the unrest. Some counter-protesters – overwhelmingly older than their pro-opposition counterparts – also turned out to support the prime minister. Mongolia has been ruled by a three-way coalition government since elections last year resulted in a significantly reduced majority for Mr Oyun-Erdene's Mongolian People's Party (MPP). But the MPP evicted the second-largest group, the Democratic Party (DP), from the coalition agreement last month after some younger DP lawmakers backed calls for Mr Oyun-Erdene's resignation. The move pushed the country's political scene into further uncertainty. Some 82 lawmakers participated in the secret ballot, with 44 voting for retaining confidence in Mr Oyun-Erdene, and 38 against. The ballot did not reach the 64-vote threshold required from the 126-seat parliament, prompting Mr Oyun-Erdene to stand down. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trump says Iran deal would not allow ‘any' uranium enrichment
US President Donald Trump ruled out allowing Iran to enrich uranium under any nuclear deal between the foes. PHOTO: REUTERS Trump says Iran deal would not allow 'any' uranium enrichment WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on June 2 ruled out allowing Iran to enrich uranium under any nuclear deal between the foes – as Tehran defended what it said was its 'peaceful' pursuit of fuel for power generation. Uranium enrichment has remained a key point of contention in five rounds of talks since April to ink a new accord to replace the deal with major powers that Mr Trump abandoned during his first term in 2018. 'Under our potential Agreement - WE WILL NOT ALLOW ANY ENRICHMENT OF URANIUM!' Mr Trump said on his Truth Social network after the Axios news outlet said Washington's offer would let Tehran enrich some of the nuclear fuel. Republican Trump also blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the impasse, saying the Democrat 'should have stopped Iran a long time ago from 'enriching.'' Axios said the latest proposal that Washington had sent Tehran on May 31 would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment on Iranian soil, for an amount of time that has yet to be determined. Iran has insisted that Iran has 'nothing to hide' on its nuclear programme. Speaking in Cairo, where he met the UN nuclear watchdog's chief Rafael Grossi, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said: 'If the goal is to deprive Iran of its peaceful activities, then certainly no agreement will be reached.' The remarks came after Mr Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on June 2 called for more transparency from Iran following a leaked report that showed Tehran had stepped up uranium enrichment. The IAEA report showed that Iran has ramped up production of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent – close to the roughly 90 per cent level needed for atomic weapons. 'There is a need for more transparency – this is very, very clear – in Iran, and nothing will bring us to this confidence (besides) full explanations of a number of activities,' Mr Grossi said ahead of meeting Mr Araghchi. Mr Grossi added that some of the report's findings 'may be uncomfortable for some, and we are... used to being criticised'. Iran has rejected the report, warning it would retaliate if European powers that have threatened to reimpose nuclear sanctions 'exploit' it. 'Some countries are trying to abuse this agency to pave the way for escalation with Iran. I hope that this agency does not fall into this trap,' Mr Araghchi said of the IAEA. Iran meanwhile pushed for the United States to drop sanctions that have crippled its economy as a condition for a nuclear agreement with Mr Trump's administration. Mr Araghchi said on May 31 that he had received 'elements' of the US proposal for a nuclear deal following the five rounds of talks, mediated by Oman. 'With or without a deal' Both Mr Araghchi and Mr Grossi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who praised the US-Iran talks and called for 'de-escalation in order to prevent a slide into a full-fledged regional war'. On June 2, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a news conference: 'We want to guarantee that the sanctions are effectively lifted.' 'So far, the American side has not wanted to clarify this issue,' he said. The US envoy in the nuclear talks said in May that Trump's administration would oppose any Iranian enrichment. 'An enrichment programme can never exist in the state of Iran ever again. That's our red line. No enrichment,' Mr Steve Witkoff told Breitbart News. Following a phone call with Mr Witkoff the day before about the ongoing nuclear talks, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty urged a peaceful solution and a nuclear-weapon-free Middle East, saying in a June 2 press conference that 'the region is already experiencing enough problems and crises'. He warned that military confrontation would create 'a state of chaos from which no one will be spared'. Iran has vowed to keep enriching uranium 'with or without a deal' on its nuclear programme. The United States has sent Iran a proposal for a nuclear deal that the White House called 'acceptable' and in Tehran's 'best interest' to accept, US media reported on May 31. The New York Times, citing officials familiar with the diplomatic exchanges, said the proposal calls on Iran to stop all enrichment and suggests creating a regional grouping to produce nuclear power. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
