Russia, which has been at war for over three years, has proposed holding a second round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, T?rkiye, on June 2.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, announced in a statement on the 28th (local time) that the Russian delegation is prepared to resume direct negotiations with the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, T?rkiye, on June 2, and to present Russia's memorandum to the Ukrainian side.
Minister Lavrov stated that the Russian delegation, led by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, will explain the memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation. He said that Russia has promptly prepared a memorandum specifying its positions on all aspects aimed at stably eliminating the root causes of the crisis.
Russia and Ukraine held their first direct ceasefire talks in three years in Istanbul on the 16th, but achieved little progress. Subsequently, on the 19th, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had agreed with U.S. President Donald Trump during a phone call to present a memorandum outlining the principles for a peace agreement, including the possibility of a ceasefire and principles for resolving issues. President Trump, on his social media platform Truth Social the previous day, pressured President Putin on the ceasefire negotiations, stating, "He is playing with fire." On the 25th, Trump also mentioned that he was considering additional sanctions against Russia.
Venues such as the Vatican and Geneva, which had been considered as possible locations for the negotiations, appear to have been rejected by Russia. Western countries proposed the Vatican as the next venue for negotiations. On the previous day, Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy for the Ukraine war, stated that Russia does not want the Vatican, and that Geneva could be the location for the second round of ceasefire negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Minister Lavrov, during a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, provided updates on the preparations for concrete proposals for the next Istanbul talks between Russia and Ukraine. The ministry also said that Minister Lavrov explained the progress in implementing the agreement reached between President Putin and President Trump during their phone call on the 19th.
The ministry added that Secretary Rubio emphasized President Trump's readiness to facilitate reconciliation between the two countries in order to swiftly end the conflict in Ukraine, and reaffirmed the commitment to continue dialogue between Russia and the United States.
Prior to the announcement, Medinsky, head of the Russian negotiating delegation, stated that he had called Rustem Umerov, Ukrainian Defense Minister and head of the Ukrainian delegation, to propose the date and location for the next meeting.
According to TASS news agency, Medinsky said, "We are ready to immediately begin essential and substantive discussions on the key points of a package agreement regarding the possibility of a ceasefire," and added that they are awaiting a response from the Ukrainian side.
After the talks on the 16th, Medinsky stated that the overall results were satisfactory, and that it had been agreed to discuss the possibility of a summit between President Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as well as to present each country's vision for a future ceasefire.
President Zelensky on this day proposed a trilateral meeting involving President Putin and President Trump. However, Ukraine did not immediately respond to Russia's proposal for a second round of negotiations.
On the same day, Reuters, citing three Russian sources familiar with the negotiations, reported that President Putin's proposed conditions include a written pledge to halt the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and to lift a significant portion of sanctions against Russia. This would officially block the possibility of NATO membership for Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and others. The sources also said that Russia is demanding Ukrainian neutrality, resolution of frozen Russian assets, and protection of Russian speakers in Ukraine.
One source stated that if a peace agreement cannot be reached under these conditions, President Putin would pressure Ukraine and Europe through military victory. Another source said that President Putin has become less willing to compromise on territorial issues and is insisting that Ukraine fully cede the four eastern regions currently occupied by Russia.
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