Istanbul negotiations: Russia submits two ceasefire memoranda to Ukraine

The first option in the memorandum calls for the Ukrainian military to withdraw from the regions of Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donbas, and Luhansk. The second option proposes a ban on the redeployment of forces within Ukraine, a halt to mobilization and foreign armament, and the initiation of military demobilization procedures, excluding the military presence of any third country.

The memorandum, in a section titled "Basic Parameters for a Final Solution," also included provisions requiring Ukraine's neutrality, its refusal to join military alliances, its non-possession of nuclear weapons, and a reduction in the size of its forces. It also called for international recognition of Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhia, Donbas, and Luhansk as Russian regions, and the lifting of sanctions imposed on Moscow.

The terms also included mutual waivers of claims for reparations resulting from the conflict, guarantees for the rights of the Russian-speaking population, lifting restrictions on the activities of the Orthodox Church, prohibiting the glorification of Nazism, and the gradual restoration of diplomatic and economic relations, including the transit of natural gas.

Istanbul hosted a second round of Russian-Ukrainian talks on Monday aimed at ending the war that has been ongoing since 2022. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan participated in the meeting alongside the Russian delegation headed by Vladimir Medinsky, presidential advisor, and the Ukrainian delegation headed by Defense Minister Rustam Umarov.

On May 15 and 16, Istanbul hosted peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which resulted in an agreement to exchange 2,000 prisoners between the two countries.

Since February 24, 2022, Russia has launched a military offensive against its neighbor Ukraine, demanding that Kyiv abandon its membership in Western military entities as a condition for ending the offensive. Kyiv considers this to be "interference" in its affairs.