Russia has submitted a list of demands to the United States for a potential deal to end its war in Ukraine and reset relations with Washington, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
The exact terms Moscow has proposed remain unclear, as does its willingness to engage in peace talks with Kyiv before these conditions are met. Russian and American officials have reportedly discussed the demands in both in-person and virtual meetings over the past three weeks.
The sources described the Kremlin’s demands as broad and consistent with previous conditions presented to Ukraine, the US, and NATO. These have included barring Kyiv from NATO membership, prohibiting foreign troop deployments in Ukraine, and internationally recognising President Vladimir Putin’s claim over Crimea and four Ukrainian provinces.
In recent years, Russia has also pushed for the US and NATO to address what it calls the “root causes” of the war, including NATO’s eastward expansion.
US President Donald Trump is awaiting a response from Putin on whether he will agree to a 30-day truce, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday he would accept as an initial step toward peace talks. However, Putin’s stance on a potential ceasefire remains uncertain, with details yet to be finalised.
Some US officials, lawmakers, and analysts have raised concerns that Putin could use a ceasefire to further divide the US, Ukraine, and Europe while undermining negotiations.
The Russian embassy in Washington and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In Kyiv, Zelenskiy described a recent meeting in Saudi Arabia between US and Ukrainian officials as constructive and suggested that a 30-day ceasefire could serve as a foundation for a broader peace agreement.
Moscow has put forward similar demands for over two decades, some of which have been incorporated into formal negotiations with the US and Europe. Most recently, Russia discussed these terms with the Biden administration in late 2021 and early 2022, just before its invasion of Ukraine. At the time, Moscow sought restrictions on US and NATO military operations across Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
While rejecting some of Russia’s conditions, the Biden administration engaged in discussions on others in an attempt to prevent the invasion, according to US government documents reviewed by Reuters and multiple former US officials.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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