NYT: Ukrainian memorandum includes comprehensive ceasefire

Ukraine’s proposed memorandum includes provisions for a comprehensive ceasefire — on land, at sea, and in the air, with monitoring to be carried out by international partners.

This was revealed to The New York Times by a senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations, Caliber.Az reports.

The official’s comments come as Ukraine publicly accuses Moscow of stalling the peace process and withholding key terms ahead of a new round of talks.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on May 30 that Kyiv has yet to receive the Russian memorandum outlining Moscow’s peace conditions, despite prior commitments. 

The minister noted that for any meeting to be “substantive and meaningful,” Ukraine needed “to receive a document in advance so that the delegation that will attend has the authority to discuss the relevant positions.”

Ukraine has submitted its own peace terms to both Russia and the United States in anticipation of the negotiations tentatively scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul. However, Moscow has insisted it will only present its memorandum during the meeting itself. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the document "could not be made public" but said the Russian delegation would be ready for talks Monday morning in Türkiye.

Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that Russia may use the Istanbul meeting to propose unacceptable terms — such as requiring Ukraine to cede control of territory it still holds—and then blame Kyiv for refusing to engage. This tactic, they say, could be aimed at swaying international opinion, particularly in Washington, where US officials have reportedly considered withdrawing support for the talks if no progress is made.

By Sabina Mammadli