The short peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on Monday lasted about an hour and ended with the announcement of a new exchange of prisoners and the return of the bodies of soldiers who died at the front.
However, Moscow did release the memorandum that Russian diplomats had been discussing for several weeks. This document publicly sets out Russia's conditions for ending its military offensive and provides an insight into the Kremlin's war aims as its "special operation" enters its fourth year.
Sent to the Ukrainians at the last minute, it was made public by the Russian press agency Tass.
Here are the document's main provisions.
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Terms of settlement: Russian conditions
- Signature of an agreement to implement provisions for a final settlement.
- International recognition of Crimea, Donbas and “Novorossia” ("New Russia", a colonisation project developed in the Russian Empire in the 18th century) as part of Russia.
- A guarantee that Ukraine ensure the full rights, freedoms and interests of its Russian speakers.
- Designating Russian as an official language of Ukraine.
- A legislative ban on any glorification or propaganda of Nazism and neo-Nazism.
- Lifting of all restrictions on the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
- Ukrainian neutrality, meaning: a pledge not to join military alliances or coalitions and a ban on any military activity by third countries in Ukrainian territory and on the deployment of foreign military forces, military bases or military infrastructure there.
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- A direct ban on the acceptance, transit or deployment of nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
- Caps on the strength of the armed forces, weapons and military equipment.
- The lifting of all existing sanctions by Ukraine against Russia and a mandatory pledge not to impose new ones.
- The waiver of mutual claims with Ukraine in connection with damage caused by hostilities.
-The phased restoration of diplomatic and economic relations with Ukraine, including gas transit.
Ceasefire Conditions
The document gives Ukraine two ceasefire options:
Option 1:
- The complete withdrawal of the Ukrainian army from the DPR (Donestk oblast), LPR (Luhansk oblast), and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
- From the moment the Ukrainian military begins to withdraw from Russian territory, including Donbas and “Novorossia”, a 30-day ceasefire will be established.
- The withdrawal must be completed within 30 days of the ceasefire.
Option 2:
- A ban on the redeployment of the Ukrainian armed forces, except for movements for withdrawal to an agreed distance from the borders of Russia.
- All Western arms supply to Ukraine shall be halted; the same applies to the provision of intelligence data.
- The military presence of third countries in the territory of Ukraine must be excluded.
- Participation of foreign specialists in military operations on behalf of Ukraine must be stopped.
- Cancellation of martial law by Kyiv.
- A bilateral centre for monitoring and controlling the ceasefire is to be established.
- Mobilisation is to be halted and demobilisation begun in Ukraine to achieve a ceasefire.
- The document also calls for the dissolution of nationalist formations in Ukraine.
- Amnesty for political prisoners.
- Release of military personnel and civilians.
Terms and procedure for signature of the peace treaty
- The “signing of a memorandum on a ceasefire with specific dates for the implementation of all its provisions and the determination of the date for the signing of a future treaty on a final settlement” will take place after Russia has transferred 6,000 bodies of deceased military personnel to Ukraine.
- That done, a 30-day ceasefire is to be established.
- Next comes "the holding of elections, the formation of authorities on the territory of Ukraine", followed by "the signing of the treaty".
- The Ukrainian authorities must announce the date of the presidential and parliamentary elections, due to take place no later than 100 days after the lifting of martial law.
- The peace treaty between Russia and Ukraine shall be approved by a legally binding resolution of the UN Security Council.
The article was adapted from the original in French.
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