Ceasefire hopes dim as Russia demands territorial concessions
During the talks on Friday in Istanbul, Russia presented Ukraine with a series of conditions that must be met before a ceasefire can occur. Among these, the Kremlin demands the recognition of the annexation of Crimea and other regions and the adoption of a neutral status, Bloomberg reported on Saturday.
During the talks on Friday in Istanbul, the Russian delegation presented Ukraine with a list of conditions that must be fulfilled to reach a ceasefire. Russia demands that Ukraine adopts a neutral status, which entails no foreign military presence or weapons of mass destruction on its territory.
Additionally, Moscow expects Ukraine to officially renounce claims for reparations and recognize the annexation of Crimea and four other occupied regions.
Kremlin's demands on Ukraine
The Kremlin also sets the condition that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from the Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, which are to be handed over to Russia. Russia expects international recognition of these territories, including Crimea, as part of the Russian Federation. According to Bloomberg, Vladimir Putin will only agree to a ceasefire once these demands are met.
First talks in three years
The meeting in Istanbul marked the first direct dialogue between representatives of the Russian and Ukrainian authorities in three years. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation was headed by Vladimir Medinsky, Putin's advisor. The talks also discussed the possibility of a prisoner exchange in a ratio of 1,000 for 1,000 people and the preparation for a potential meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.
