Russia dictates the terms of "peace" negotiations, accusing Ukraine of stalling the process - ISW
Kyiv • UNN
Russian officials are trying to impose their conditions and time for peace talks on Ukraine. The Kremlin wants to use any gains on the front to gain concessions from Ukraine.
Russian officials continue to dictate the terms and timing of peace talks with Ukraine and are trying to "confuse" their current state. This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that Russian officials are "setting conditions to falsely accuse Ukraine of delaying negotiations."
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 28 that Russia is ready to present its memorandum on the terms of peace talks during the next bilateral meeting with Ukraine, and proposed that representatives of Russia and Ukraine meet in Istanbul on June 2. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov ... responded to Russia's proposal on May 28 and said that Ukraine is ready for a ceasefire and further negotiations, and that Ukraine has already submitted its memorandum to Russia. On May 29, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia had not received a copy of the Ukrainian memorandum and that Ukraine had not responded to Lavrov's proposal
They emphasize that Russia is forcing Ukraine to make concessions regarding the timing, conditions and venue of negotiations. Thus, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin initially proposed on the night of May 10-11 to "resume" the bilateral peace talks that took place in Istanbul in 2022, but later rejected the invitation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to a personal meeting in Istanbul.
Ukraine's willingness to participate in negotiations on May 15-16 in Istanbul with Russian officials was in itself a significant concession, as holding negotiations in Istanbul fit into Putin's narrative that the current negotiations are a resumption of the 2022 Istanbul Protocols, in which Russia demanded that Ukraine effectively capitulate to Russia
Analysts suggest that Russian forces will continue to put pressure along the front line until Ukraine accepts Russia's terms, and the Kremlin will try to use any new gains on the battlefield to gain additional concessions from Ukraine and the West during negotiations.
Let us remind you
Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak informed US President's Special Representative Stephen Vitkoff about the importance of the presence of representatives of the United States and the European Union during the next round of negotiations with Russia on peace in Ukraine.
A few days ago, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov handed over to the assistant to the President of Russia, Volodymyr Medinsky, a document reflecting the Ukrainian position on the ceasefire. The Russian side has at least four more days to submit their document to Ukraine for processing.