Russia's official spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, on Tuesday said that expecting immediate breakthroughs in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine would be “incorrect." He made the remarks after the second round of peace talks between the two warring parties was held in Istanbul on Monday, which ended without any breakthrough.
Despite the deadlock, some positives, like prisoner swap agreements, would continue over the course of the next few weeks before a third round of talks could be confirmed later this month. Russia, Ukraine exchanged their draft proposals outlining a roadmap towards an eventual peace deal.
Commenting on the talks, Peskov emphasised on Tuesday that the “issue of regulation is extremely complex and consists of a large number of nuances.”
“The project of the memorandum we submitted to the Ukrainian side contains many provisions, including multi-variability, all aimed at eliminating the root causes of this conflict and moving towards a sustainable resolution trajectory,” the Russian spokesman said. Peskov added that considering the complexities of the negotiations, it would be “incorrect to expect any immediate solutions or breakthroughs here."
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He said Moscow is now waiting for Ukraine’s response to the memorandum submitted on Monday by the negotiating delegation. Moscow demands Ukrainian neutrality, international recognition of Russia’s new territories, and military restrictions for Kiev. With demands that Kiev withdraw all troops from the regions that have joined Russia—Crimea, the Donbass republics, and the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions—while formally recognising these areas as Russian territory.
The proposal also requires Ukraine to ensure rights for Russian-speaking citizens, make Russian an official language, end religious persecution, ban Nazi and nationalist organisations, and lift sanctions on Russia. As per the draft proposal, any final peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv can only be signed after elections are held in Ukraine and endorsed by a legally binding UN Security Council resolution.
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