Russia demands Ukraine surrender land and limit military

Reuters
Reuters

Russia laid out strict demands for ending the war during peace talks in Istanbul, calling on Ukraine to cede territory and limit its military.

At a fresh round of peace negotiations held in Istanbul, Russia presented a memorandum demanding that Ukraine surrender significant territories and agree to military restrictions in exchange for an end to the war. The conditions included the full withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Crimea and four occupied regions, a ban on NATO membership, recognition of Russian as an official language, and a halt to Western military support.

Ukrainian officials dismissed the terms as unacceptable and tantamount to surrender. Despite limited progress—such as an agreement to exchange prisoners of war and retrieve soldiers’ bodies—there was no breakthrough on a ceasefire. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed hope for a future summit between Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Donald Trump, though the prospects remain uncertain.

Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said Kyiv would review the Russian proposal, but emphasized that real progress would only come from direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin. Meanwhile, Ukraine proposed its own roadmap, demanding no limits on military power, no territorial concessions, and reparations from Russia.

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