The Kremlin stated on Thursday that it is awaiting a response from Ukraine regarding Russia’s proposal to hold the next round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2, with the aim of initiating discussions on draft memorandums for a potential peace accord.
On Wednesday, Russia proposed the new round of direct negotiations, intending to present Ukraine with a memorandum outlining what it described as the key elements for “overcoming the root causes” of the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow has not yet received a reply from Kyiv.
Read more: Jail Term Demanded for Russian Election Watchdog Co-Chair
When asked about Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha’s suggestion that Russia should immediately release the memorandum, Peskov dismissed the idea as “non-constructive.”
“Here, you have to either confirm your readiness to continue negotiations or do the opposite,” Peskov said.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov stated on Wednesday that Kyiv had already submitted its memorandum on a potential settlement and called on Russia to produce its version immediately, rather than waiting until next week.
Previous talks on May 16 failed to achieve a ceasefire agreement, which Moscow has stated is impossible to achieve before certain conditions are met.
