Russia proposes short ceasefire in certain frontline areas
Photo: Vladimir Medinsky, Putin's aide (Getty Images)
During negotiations in Istanbul, Russia proposed a short-term ceasefire with Ukraine lasting two to three days. Moscow wants such a ceasefire to be limited to certain areas of the front line, stated Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation and aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to TASS.
"We proposed a specific ceasefire for two or three days in certain frontline areas... Why is a short ceasefire implemented with drone shutdowns and so on? So that commanders can retrieve the bodies of their soldiers," Medinsky claimed.
According to the Russian official, Ukrainian forces agreed to consider the proposal.
Ukraine–Russia ceasefire talks
Russia has been refusing to agree to a full 30-day ceasefire with Ukraine for several months. Russian officials justify this by claiming that such a truce would allow Western countries to bolster Ukraine militarily.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities had already agreed to such a ceasefire back in March, following a proposal made by the United States.
A few days ago, Ukraine handed over a memorandum to Russia outlining its position on a potential ceasefire.
Russian officials presented their ceasefire memorandum to the Ukrainian side only today, during negotiations in Istanbul.
Ukrainian Defense Minister and head of the Ukrainian delegation, Rustem Umerov, stated that Russia would review Ukraine’s memorandum for another week and prepare its response.
