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Russia’s Ceasefire Memorandum Demands Territorial Recognition and Military Neutrality From Ukraine
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
In a newly publicized document shared through Russian state media on June 2, Russia presented a proposed memorandum for a ceasefire in its ongoing war against Ukraine. The draft sets out a series of demands and a structured timeline for negotiations and implementation.
According to available information, this document was handed over by the Russian delegation to the Ukrainian side during earlier negotiations held in Istanbul.
The memorandum is divided into three sections. The first outlines the terms for what Russia considers a final settlement. Among the primary conditions are:
Recognition of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions as part of the Russian Federation;
Complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from these territories;
A commitment by Ukraine to adopt a neutral status, refraining from joining any military alliances or hosting foreign troops;
Restrictions on Ukraine’s military size and operations;
Granting official status to the Russian language in Ukraine;
Prohibiting what Russia describes as the “glorification of Nazism”;
Lifting all sanctions between the two countries and forbidding future economic restrictions;
Waiving reparations for war damages;
Addressing religious freedom for the Moscow-affiliated Orthodox Church and supporting displaced families and reunification efforts.
The second section proposes two scenarios for a ceasefire:
Immediate Withdrawal Scenario: Ukraine pulls all its forces out of the Russian-claimed territories, leading to a direct cessation of hostilities.
Conditional Freeze: Ukraine halts troop movements and mobilization, demobilizes its forces, lifts martial law, and discontinues foreign military support. Both sides would agree to avoid sabotage operations and set up a joint monitoring center.
Additionally, Russia suggests Ukraine should hold presidential and parliamentary elections within 100 days of lifting martial law, followed by a peace treaty.
The final section details a phased approach. It starts with negotiations on the memorandum’s content, followed by a short-term truce for humanitarian purposes. A 30-day ceasefire would be triggered once Ukrainian troop withdrawal begins. After Ukrainian elections, a final peace agreement would be signed and submitted for approval to the United Nations Security Council.
Previously, it was reported that Ukrainian and Russian delegations convened at the Çırağan Palace in Istanbul for the second round of peace negotiations on June 2.
