Russia has presented the United States with a list of demands for an agreement to end the war against Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
It is unclear what exactly Moscow has included in its list or whether it is willing to engage in peace talks with Kyiv before accepting the demands, the agency reported.
Russian and U.S. officials have discussed the terms in both personal and virtual talks over the past three weeks, the sources said. The Kremlin's demands have been described as broad and similar to those it previously made to Ukraine, the U.S., and NATO.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that American officials are traveling to Russia for talks about a U.S.-Ukraine agreement on a 30-day ceasefire and a path to peace negotiations.
Earlier Russian conditions included Ukraine’s non-membership in NATO, an agreement to prevent foreign troops from being deployed in Ukraine, and international recognition of President Vladimir Putin's claim that Crimea and four regions belong to Russia.
In recent years, Russia has also demanded that the U.S. and NATO address what it called the "root causes" of the war, including NATO’s eastward expansion.
Trump is awaiting Putin’s response regarding whether he will agree to a 30-day ceasefire, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday he would accept as a first step toward peace talks.
Putin's commitment to a potential ceasefire agreement remains uncertain, and details still need to be finalized.
Some U.S. officials, lawmakers, and experts fear that Putin, a former KGB officer, could use the ceasefire to intensify what they say is an attempt to divide the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe and undermine any peace negotiations.
The Russian embassy in Washington and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In Kyiv, Ukrainian President Zelensky praised this week’s meeting in Saudi Arabia between U.S. and Ukrainian officials as constructive, stating that a potential 30-day ceasefire with Russia could be used to create a broader peace agreement.
Limiting Military Operations by the U.S. and NATO from Eastern Europe to Central Asia
Moscow has made many similar demands over the past two decades, and some have entered official negotiations with the U.S. and Europe.
Earlier, Moscow discussed these demands with the Biden administration during a series of meetings in late 2021 and early 2022, while tens of thousands of Russian soldiers were waiting for orders to invade Ukraine.
They included demands to limit U.S. and NATO military operations from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
Although the Biden administration rejected some of the demands, it sought to prevent the invasion by negotiating with Russia on several of them, according to U.S. government documents reviewed by Reuters and several former U.S. officials. The effort failed, and Russia invaded on February 24, 2022.
In recent weeks, U.S. and Russian officials have stated that the draft agreement discussed in Istanbul in 2022 between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow could serve as a starting point for peace talks.
In those discussions, Russia demanded that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions and accept a permanent non-nuclear status. It also demanded a veto over the actions of countries wishing to assist Ukraine in the event of war.
Trump’s administration has not explained how it approaches negotiations with Moscow. Reuters notes that the two sides are holding two separate discussions – one regarding the reset of U.S.-Russian relations, and another about a peace agreement in Ukraine.
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