Russia has presented the United States with a list of demands regarding an agreement to end the war against Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, citing two people familiar with the matter, Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
"It is unclear what exactly Moscow included in its list and whether it is ready to conduct peace negotiations with Kyiv before they are accepted," the publication writes.
According to sources, Russian and American officials "discussed the terms during personal and virtual conversations over the past three weeks".
They called the Kremlin's terms "broad and similar to the demands it has previously made to Ukraine, the United States and NATO".
Previously, these conditions included Ukraine's non-membership in NATO, an agreement not to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine, and international recognition of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's statement that Crimea and four regions "belong" to Russia, the publication recalls.
In recent years, Russia has also demanded that the United States and NATO eliminate what it called the "root causes" of the war, including NATO's eastward expansion, the publication points out.
US President Donald Trump is waiting for a message from Putin on whether he will agree to a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he would accept as a first step towards peace talks.
"Putin's commitment to a potential ceasefire agreement is still uncertain, and details have not yet been determined," the publication writes.
Some US officials, lawmakers and experts fear that Putin, a former KGB officer, will use the ceasefire to strengthen what they say is an attempt to divide the US, Ukraine and Europe and undermine any negotiations.
Experts say that Russia's demands are likely aimed not only at shaping a possible agreement with Ukraine, but also at becoming the basis for agreements with its Western supporters.
Addition
Ukraine and the United States held talks in Jeddah on March 11, following which they issued a joint statement, in which "Ukraine expressed its readiness to accept the US proposal for the immediate introduction of a temporary, 30-day ceasefire, which may be extended by mutual agreement of the parties, provided that the Russian Federation accepts and simultaneously implements it".
According to the statement, the United States was to inform the Russian Federation that reciprocity on the part of Russia is key to achieving peace.