Red lines drawn: Russia's demands dim hopes for quick end to Ukraine war
Russia took weeks to present Ukraine with a 'memorandum' setting out its conditions for a ceasefire, as well as key guidelines for a comprehensive treaty to end the more than three-year-old war. To practically no one's surprise, it was a list of the Kremlin's long-standing, maximalist demands that Kyiv and its Western allies see as non-starters.
Ukraine had set its negotiating stance before Monday's
direct peace talks in Istanbul , emphasising its readiness to declare a 30-day ceasefire immediately without preconditions that was proposed by US President Donald Trump.
Kyiv reaffirmed its refusal to abandon a bid for Nato membership and rejected acknowledgement of Russia's annexation of any of its regions.
Both sides have established mutually exclusive red lines that make any quick deal unlikely.
Moscow's demands, published in the Russian media, make it clear that President Vladimir Putin is determined to ensure the fulfilment of the goals in Ukraine he set when he launched the invasion on February 24, 2022.
Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery towards Russian positions in the Kharkiv region. Photo: 127th Territorial Defence Brigade via AFP
Key points of the Russian and Ukrainian documents:
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