Kyiv presses Moscow for concrete proposals before next peace round

The Russian Federation must submit a memorandum to Ukraine ahead of the second round of negotiations to ensure that the upcoming meeting between delegations is substantive and focused, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said during a press conference alongside his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

Sybiha emphasised that Kyiv remains committed to continuing negotiations with Moscow, aiming to end the full-scale war by the end of the current year, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainian media.

He also stressed that Ukraine is open to discussing a temporary ceasefire and is prepared to engage with the adversary on this matter.

“We reaffirmed this during our recent meetings with the Russian side. Following the last meeting in Istanbul, Ukraine has already provided Russia with its vision for the next steps and further peace efforts, particularly regarding the parameters of a potential ceasefire,” Sybiha explained.

According to the foreign minister, Kyiv expects Moscow to share its own memorandum with both Ukraine and the United States in advance.

“In order for the planned next meeting to be substantive and focused, it is important that the document is received ahead of time, so that our delegation has the mandate necessary to discuss relevant positions,” Sybiha stated.

The first direct talks in several years between Ukraine and Russia took place in Türkiye on May 16. During those negotiations, both delegations reached an agreement on a large-scale prisoner exchange under a “1000-for-1000” scheme, which was carried out in three stages over the past weekend.

Moscow has since proposed holding a second round of ceasefire talks on Monday, June 2, in Istanbul.

Russia has also announced that it is preparing its own memorandum outlining its vision for a ceasefire following the initial round of discussions.

By Tamilla Hasanova