Russia proposes date and venue for memorandum exchange with Ukraine
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation (Getty Images)
The head of the Russian delegation at the meeting with Ukraine, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that he personally called Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and proposed the meeting venue for the exchange of memorandums.
What led up to this
Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Rustem Umerov called the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky. The conversation concerned a memorandum that, according to the Russian version, will include proposals for a future peace agreement and possible timelines for ending the war.
What Medinsky said
Medinsky stated that he called Umerov today and proposed the exact date and venue for the memorandum exchange meeting.
"I read the reports circulated by global news agencies claiming that Umerov called me about a memorandum we supposedly haven't prepared yet, and that Russia is allegedly not in a hurry. Let me clarify: everything was almost like that — only the opposite," he said.
According to him, it was not Umerov who called him, but he who called Ukraine's Defense Minister and proposed the exact date and venue for exchanging the memorandums.
"Right there, on site, we are ready to begin substantive, meaningful discussions on each point of the package agreement concerning the future ceasefire," Medinsky said.
He also stated that Russia is now waiting for confirmation from Ukraine and is ready to "personally meet and start working" on the date proposed by them.
Russia's memorandum on the ceasefire
During the negotiations in Istanbul on May 16, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed to prepare written proposals regarding a possible ceasefire.
After a conversation with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow is working on a memorandum outlining its vision for a future peace settlement, including possible timelines for ending the war.
On May 24, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that the document is nearly complete and will contain Moscow's key positions on the cessation of hostilities. However, Ukraine has yet to receive this document.
Meanwhile, the Office of the President of Ukraine believes that Russia may include unacceptable conditions in the memorandum, including the complete loss of Ukraine's sovereignty.
We have also reported that Reuters has learned what Putin might include in the list for ending the war in Ukraine.
