Russia has proposed a new round of peace negotiations with Ukraine, aiming to establish a lasting ceasefire. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the suggested meeting would take place in Istanbul on Monday, following a recent surge in attacks between the two nations.
“We hope all those genuinely invested in advancing peace will support the idea of renewed direct talks in Istanbul,” Lavrov stated on Wednesday.
In response, Ukrainian officials said they had already submitted their version of a peace memorandum and are waiting for Moscow to present its own draft. Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, stressed the need for Russia to provide their version promptly to ensure that the upcoming talks are meaningful.
“We are open to continued dialogue, but we require Russia’s memorandum to make sure the meeting leads to real progress,” Umerov said, noting that Russia had several days to deliver its proposal ahead of the potential talks.
Renewed Dialogue Follows Historic Meeting
Russia’s new proposal follows a significant in-person meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on May 16—their first direct engagement since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022. Although the talks resulted in a large-scale prisoner exchange—1,000 detainees from each side—they failed to establish a ceasefire.
Russia has maintained that specific conditions must be met before halting military operations. Vladimir Medinsky, leading Russia’s negotiation team, said he had reached out to Umerov to propose a time and place for the next discussion. He emphasized Moscow’s readiness for a serious dialogue on all aspects of a ceasefire agreement.
Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari reported from Moscow that preparations for the proposal had been underway for days following discussions between Russian and Turkish officials. Jabbari said that Russia is likely to present a list of terms during the next talks, with security concerns remaining its top priority.
From Kyiv, Al Jazeera’s John Hendren noted that Ukraine views Russia’s demands as excessive. These include barring Ukraine from joining NATO, pulling back Ukrainian forces from occupied territories, and limiting Ukraine’s military capabilities—conditions President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has firmly rejected.
Political Tensions and U.S. Involvement
Russia’s push for new talks comes amid rising pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently expressed concern that President Vladimir Putin might be intentionally delaying the peace process.
“We’ll soon know if he’s stalling. If that’s the case, our approach will change,” Trump said, hinting at the potential for new sanctions, though he also acknowledged that applying pressure now could disrupt delicate peace efforts.
Trump also warned that Putin was “playing with fire” and suggested Russia might have already faced severe consequences had the U.S. not intervened. On Monday, he sharply criticized the Russian leader following Moscow’s largest aerial assault of the conflict, which killed at least 13 people.
Despite his comments, Trump remains cautious about imposing new penalties, saying he doesn’t want to undermine ongoing negotiations.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss preparations for future talks. Russia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that Lavrov updated Rubio on follow-up efforts after a recent phone call between Trump and Putin on May 19.
Although President Putin has expressed willingness to collaborate on drafting a peace framework, he continues to resist calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire.
Germany and Ukraine Announce Missile Partnership
In a separate development, Germany and Ukraine have agreed to jointly develop long-range missile systems, marking a significant expansion in their defense cooperation.
During a press briefing in Berlin with President Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz announced that both nations’ defense ministries would sign an agreement enabling Ukraine to procure domestically produced long-range weaponry.
“These systems will have no range limitations, allowing Ukraine to defend itself effectively, including against threats beyond its borders,” Merz said.
This announcement follows the recent decision by Ukraine’s Western partners to lift previous restrictions on the range of weapons provided. The Kremlin has warned that any Western-supplied missiles targeting Russian territory would be considered an escalation.
Source: Al Jazeera
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