According to two sources, Russia has submitted a list to the United States outlining the conditions needed to achieve a ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine and to restart relations with Washington.
The contents of the list and whether Moscow is willing to engage in peaceful negotiations with Kyiv before meeting the conditions listed are currently unclear. However, these sources informed Reuters that Russian and American officials have discussed these terms in face-to-face meetings and virtual dialogues over the past three weeks.
It is reported that the Kremlin’s conditions are broad, similar to the demands it has previously made to Ukraine, the United States, and NATO.
Previous conditions put forward by Russia include Ukraine not joining NATO, refraining from deploying foreign troops in Ukraine, and demanding international recognition that Crimea and four Ukrainian provinces occupied by Russian forces belong to Russia.
In recent years, Russia has also called on the United States and NATO to address what it sees as the “roots” of the conflict, including NATO expansion to the east.
US President Donald Trump is awaiting Russian President Putin’s response to a 30-day ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Zelensky stated on Tuesday (March 11) that he is willing to accept a 30-day ceasefire agreement as the first step in Russian-Ukrainian peace talks.
Zelensky praised the constructive nature of this week’s meeting between US and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, stating that the potential 30-day ceasefire with Russia could serve as a basis for a broader peace agreement.
Putin’s stance on this ceasefire agreement, which has yet to be finalized, remains uncertain.
Both the Russian Embassy in Washington and the White House have not responded to requests for comments.
Over the past two decades, Moscow has put forward many of the same demands, with some of these terms officially discussed by the United States and Europe.
The most recent discussions took place before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, from late 2021 to early 2022, where Russia engaged in talks with the Biden administration on these demands, including limiting US and NATO military activities from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
While the Biden administration rejected some of the terms, it still attempted to discuss several with Russia in order to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to US government documents reviewed by Reuters and multiple former US officials.
In recent weeks, US and Russian officials have indicated that the 2022 Istanbul agreement, which Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow discussed, could be a starting point for negotiations. However, this agreement has not been approved.
In these negotiations, Russia has called for Ukraine to forego NATO membership and accept a permanent non-aligned status, as well as prohibiting other countries from aiding Ukraine in the event of war.
The current Trump administration has not elaborated on the details of negotiations with Moscow. The dialogue is focusing on two aspects: restarting US-Russia relations and a Russian-Ukrainian peace agreement.
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff is assisting in leading negotiations with Moscow, having described the Istanbul talks last month on CNN as “convincing and substantive negotiations” that could serve as a “guideline for a peace agreement.”
However, Trump’s top Ukraine and Russia envoy, retired General Keith Kellogg, stated last week in a Foreign Relations Committee meeting that he believes the Istanbul agreement is not a starting point and that “fresh negotiations must be held.”
Experts suggest that Russia’s demands are likely aimed not only at reaching a final agreement with Ukraine but also at establishing a foundation for an agreement with Ukraine’s Western supporters.
Over the past twenty years, Russia has presented similar demands to the United States aimed at limiting the West’s ability to establish a stronger military presence in Europe and potentially allowing Putin to expand his influence across the European continent.
“There is no indication that Russia is willing to make any concessions,” said Angela Stent, a senior researcher at the Brookings Institution and former top intelligence analyst on the US, Russia, and the Eurasian region. “Their demands have not changed at all. I don’t think they have a real interest in peace or a meaningful ceasefire.”
According to US government documents reviewed by Reuters, in an effort to prevent an invasion by Russia, senior officials from the Biden administration contacted Russian counterparts regarding three demands from the Kremlin.
These three Russian demands include: prohibiting American and other NATO military forces from conducting exercises on the territories of new alliance members, as well as banning the deployment of intermediate-range missiles within range of Europe or other Russian territories by the United States.
The documents also indicate that Russia is seeking to prevent the US or NATO from conducting military exercises in Eastern Europe to the Caucasus and Central Asia regions.
(Reference: Reuters)