Putin lays out conditions to end Ukraine war: Reuters reveals list
Photo: Russian leader Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, which include written guarantees on NATO non-expansion and the partial lifting of Western sanctions, Reuters informs.
According to the report, Putin insists that Western leaders provide formal commitments to halt NATO's eastern expansion and ease certain sanctions before he agrees to any peace deal with Ukraine.
Following a more than two-hour phone call with US President Donald Trump last week, Putin reportedly agreed to begin working on a ceasefire memorandum, outlining the basic terms for a potential peace settlement.
However, no concrete deadlines or finalized terms have been disclosed yet. Moscow is currently drafting its own version of the memorandum.
Russia's demands for peace deal
Russia demands that Ukraine abandon its plans to join NATO and adopt a neutral status, and also seeks the lifting of some Western sanctions and a resolution of the issue of frozen Russian assets in the West.
In addition, the Kremlin insists on guarantees of protection for Russian speakers in Ukraine.
According to one source, if Russia cannot secure a deal on its terms, Putin intends to demonstrate military victories to convince both Ukraine and the West that "peace tomorrow will be even more painful".
Russian President also insists on excluding Ukraine, Georgia, and other former Soviet republics from future NATO membership. Meanwhile, Ukraine is demanding strong security guarantees from the West as part of any peace process.
Despite sanctions and mounting economic pressure, sources say Putin is not ruling out the possibility of continuing the war for years to come.
Kyiv and several European capitals also accuse Moscow of deliberately stalling negotiations, using them as cover while Russian forces continue their offensive operations in the east of Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump, who supports the idea of reaching peace with Russia, has hinted at tougher sanctions if Moscow does not engage more seriously in the negotiations.
Russia's ceasefire memorandum
After talks in Istanbul on May 16, Russia and Ukraine agreed to present their respective ceasefire positions in writing.
Following his conversation with Trump, Putin confirmed that Moscow is preparing a memorandum containing its vision for a future peace agreement, including possible timelines for ending the war.
On May 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the document is nearly ready and will outline Moscow's key positions on ending hostilities.
However, the Ukrainian Presidential Office fears the memorandum could include unacceptable terms, such as the total loss of Ukraine's sovereignty.
