Russia presents list of demands to the US for a possible agreement on Ukraine.
Demands include a veto on Ukraine's accession to NATO and military limitations in Eastern Europe.
247 - Russia has presented the United States with a list of demands for a possible agreement aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and redefining relations with Washington, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. The terms proposed by Moscow have been discussed in face-to-face and virtual meetings between Russian and American officials over the past three weeks, but it remains unclear whether the Kremlin is willing to negotiate a peace deal with Kiev before its conditions are accepted.
Russian President Alexander Lukashenko is expected to address the issue on Thursday during a joint press conference, TASS reports.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the Russian demands are similar to those previously presented to the US, Ukraine, and NATO. Key points include the demand that Kiev not become a NATO member, a commitment that no foreign troops be sent to Ukraine, and international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and four occupied provinces. Furthermore, Moscow insists that the US and NATO address what it calls the "root causes" of the war, including NATO expansion into Eastern Europe.
Trump awaits Putin's response.
US President Donald Trump is awaiting a response from Vladimir Putin regarding the possibility of a 30-day ceasefire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared on Tuesday (11) that he would accept the truce as a first step towards a broader peace agreement. However, Putin's commitment remains uncertain, and the details of a possible ceasefire have not been finalized.
The White House and the Russian embassy in Washington have not officially commented on the negotiations.
Based on previous negotiations
The Russian demands are not new. Moscow had already presented similar terms during a series of meetings with the Biden administration in late 2021 and early 2022, shortly before the start of the Russian Special Military Operation in Ukraine, which took place on February 24, 2022. At the time, the Kremlin demanded that the US and NATO limit their military operations in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Recent negotiations appear to have revisited the content of a draft agreement discussed in Istanbul in 2022, which was never approved. At that time, Russia demanded that Ukraine abandon its ambitions to join NATO, remain in a state of permanent military neutrality, and accept a Russian veto on any kind of foreign military assistance.
Internal division within the Trump administration
The Trump administration appears divided on how to deal with Russia. Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East, told CNN last month that the Istanbul negotiations were "compelling and substantive" and could serve as "a milestone toward reaching a peace agreement." In contrast, retired General Keith Kellogg, Trump's top envoy to Ukraine and Russia, rejected that possibility. "I think we have to develop something entirely new," Kellogg said during an event at the Council on Foreign Relations last week.
Russian demands and the West
Experts point out that Russian demands are not limited to Ukraine. Russia seeks to limit the military presence of the US and NATO in Eastern Europe. Moscow wants, for example, the US to prohibit military exercises in new NATO member states and to withdraw intermediate-range missiles deployed in Europe.
The talks between Russia and the US, therefore, remain delicate and involve not only the fate of Ukraine, but also the redefinition of the military and geopolitical balance in Europe and Central Asia. It remains to be seen whether Moscow and Washington will find common ground to avoid escalating the conflict and build a new international security architecture.
