Moscow proposed further direct negotiations on Monday with Kiev for a possible ceasefire in the Ukrainian war.
The Russian delegation is preparing to introduce the memorandum to the Ukrainian team and provide “necessary explanations” on this, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying Wednesday by Russian state news agency Tass.
He said his country has prepared a memorandum outlining its position on “reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis.”
Russian negotiators in Moscow and Kiev had the first direct negotiations in mid-May at Vladimir Medinsky in Istanbul, earlier in telegramming with Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
He said he proposed a specific date and place to exchange memorandums. He added that Russia is ready to start discussions on the spot about each point of the agreement that could be a ceasefire.
Since 2022, Moscow and Kiev have held direct negotiations in Istanbul in mid-May. The only result was that 1,000 prisoners were exchanged separately. Ukraine defended the full-scale Russian invasion for more than three years in Western aid.
Kiev has accepted the U.S. proposed a 30-day ceasefire as the starting point for negotiations. Moscow continues to reject the issue, although all peace-hungry declarations claim to ultimately comply with its greatest demands: Ukraine should be disarmed and effectively brought back to Russia’s control.
