Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that the Ukrainian side has handed an official document to the Russian delegation, reflecting Kyiv’s position on the ceasefire. This move was a response to Russia’s delays in forming its own memorandum regarding the resolution of the situation.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Details of the Negotiations and International Pressure
According to Umerov, the Russian Federation attempted to postpone the preparation of its document; however, the influence of international partners – particularly statements from the U.S. President, European leaders, and Volodymyr Zelensky – compelled the Russians to complete their work on the memorandum. Despite this, the Russian delegation has yet to provide the official text to the Ukrainian side.
“However, they are delaying the transfer of the document. I handed our document, which reflects the Ukrainian position, to the head of the Russian delegation. They received this document,” Umerov stated.
The minister also confirmed Ukraine’s readiness for a complete and unconditional ceasefire and emphasized the importance of the effectiveness of the meetings. The Ukrainian side expects to receive Russia’s memorandum in the coming days for detailed processing.
Current State of Negotiations and Positions of the Parties
Umerov stressed that the meetings should be substantive rather than destructive. He urged Russia to keep its promise and not delay the transfer of the document so that the negotiations could become a real step towards ending the war.
On May 28, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the completion of its work on its own memorandum regarding peaceful resolution. Despite this, as of the end of May, the document had still not been provided to the Ukrainian side.
It is worth noting that on May 16, the first direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia in three years took place in Istanbul. The parties did not achieve significant progress; however, they agreed on a prisoner exchange in the format of “one thousand for one thousand,” which concluded on May 25. Ukraine insists on a 30-day ceasefire, but Russia continues to make territorial demands, including recognition of its sovereignty over four Ukrainian regions that it does not fully control. Moscow describes this as a condition for starting discussions on halting hostilities.