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Zelenskyy: Russia Admitted “Peace Memorandum” Was an Ultimatum

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Maryna_kulakova
Maryna Kulakova
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Zelenskyy: Russia Admitted “Peace Memorandum” Was an Ultimatum
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pictured during a press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz (not in the picture) in Berlin, Germany, on May 28, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

Russian negotiators directly told the Ukrainian delegation that their so-called "peace memorandum" is an ultimatum Kyiv cannot accept, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with Hungarian news outlet Valasz Online, published on June 10.

"They even told our delegation: we know that our memorandum is an ultimatum, and you will not accept it," Zelenskyy stated. "Thus, the question is not the quality of the Istanbul format, but what to do about the Russians' lies."

Zelenskyy explained that Russia's primary goal is to weaken Western support for Ukraine and extend negotiations while continuing its military aggression.

"This is a matter for us to decide constitutionally. It’s my responsibility to discuss territorial issues—just as it’s Putin’s, who seized them. I won’t discuss my position with anyone else," Zelenskyy said.

Russia’s "peace memorandum" demands that Ukraine recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk—all of which are not fully controlled by Moscow.

The Kremlin also insists on Ukraine’s full military withdrawal from these territories. Zelenskyy reiterated Ukraine’s firm refusal to cede any occupied land.

"We’ve said repeatedly that if we receive adequate security guarantees to prevent Putin from continuing the war, we will have time to resolve territorial issues—through diplomacy, not through weapons," he remarked.

Additional Russian demands include Ukrainian neutrality, cessation of foreign military aid, recognition of Russian as an official language, amnesty for pro-Russian collaborators, and a ban on foreign troops—proposals that contradict EU-supported peacekeeping initiatives.

While no ceasefire or political breakthrough was achieved, the negotiations led to important humanitarian agreements, including commitments to exchange prisoners of war and return the bodies of fallen soldiers.

Earlier, in an interview for RT on June 9, Vladimir Medinsky, aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Russia’s lead negotiator, reported that Russian citizens are calling for immediate missile strikes on Kyiv and Lviv using the “Oreshnik” missile system in retaliation for what they view as terrorist attacks on Russian soil.

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