Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced that Russia has completed drafting a memorandum outlining steps toward a ceasefire but continues to delay its delivery.
The memorandum process
originated from a 19 May phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump. Following that call, Putin announced Russia’s readiness to propose a memorandum on ceasefire and future peace agreements, stating the need to find compromises acceptable to both countries.
This also follows a meeting in Istanbul on 16 May, when Ukrainian and Russian delegations for the first direct negotiations since 2022, with participation from Türkiye and the US. The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defense Minister Umerov, while the Russian side was headed by Putin’s Aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Ukraine proposed a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, an all-for-all prisoner swap, and direct negotiations between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin, who
declined to attend personally. Russia
demanded the full withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four occupied regions claimed by Moscow and
refused a ceasefire.
US Vice President J.D. Vance described the negotiation process as having reached a “dead end.”
Russians bullied and threatened Ukraine in Istanbul — but Putin banned his men from one move
According to Umerov’s post on Facebook, the Russian side initially attempted to postpone the memorandum process entirely. However, pressure from President Trump, European leaders, and President Zelenskyy demonstrated unified international support for peace in Ukraine, prompting Russia to complete the document. Despite finishing the draft, Russia has not yet delivered the memorandum to Ukrainian officials.
Umerov confirmed that Ukraine has already provided its position document to the head of the Russian delegation.
“We reaffirm Ukraine’s readiness for a full and unconditional ceasefire and continued diplomatic engagement,” he stated.
“We are not opposed to further meetings with the Russians and are awaiting their ‘memorandum,’ so that the meeting won’t be empty and can truly move us closer to ending the war,” Umerov added.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed these concerns, calling on Russia to immediately deliver its memorandum rather than waiting until Monday.
“We expect that the Russian side will not disrupt the next meeting and will immediately submit their proposals for our consideration, as was agreed earlier,” Sybiha stated.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that Umerov had contacted Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky to inquire about the memorandum’s delivery timeline.
“They assured us: ‘It will come, it will come.’ But we never received anything. No one did. We reached out to the USA — they are also waiting. Everyone is waiting,” Zelenskyy said.
Medinsky disputed this account, claiming he had initiated the conversation and proposed a specific date and location for exchanging memorandums.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov subsequently announced that Russia proposes holding a second round of negotiations on 2 June in Istanbul, where the Russian delegation would present its ceasefire conditions.
Umerov emphasized that Russia has four days remaining before their delegation’s departure to provide the document for review, warning against attempts to make meetings destructive rather than productive.
Earlier, three Russian sources with knowledge of negotiations shared with Reuters what the Kremlin demands from Ukraine to end the war. President Putin had set forth specific conditions, including:
- written guarantees from Western leaders to halt “NATO’s eastward expansion”, effectively excluding Ukraine, Georgia, and other former Soviet states from membership
- Ukraine adopting a neutral status
- partial lifting of Western sanctions
- resolution of frozen Russian assets abroad
- protections for Russian speakers in Ukraine.
Ukraine rejects any veto over its NATO aspirations and insists on strong Western security guarantees, with President Zelenskyy emphasizing that no agreements about Ukraine’s future will be accepted without its direct involvement.
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