The next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine remains uncertain because Moscow is not disclosing its conditions for a peace agreement, which Kyiv insists on to prepare, writes The Washington Post. The publication suggests that the Kremlin likely wants to avoid criticism of its document before the meeting, but the US will pressure Ukraine to send a delegation regardless.
"For the next planned meeting to be substantive and meaningful, it is important to receive the document in advance so that the delegation attending has the authority to discuss the relevant positions," Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga told journalists on Friday, noting that Russia has already received Ukrainian proposals. The Foreign Minister did not confirm the participation of the Ukrainian delegation in the negotiations if they do not receive the document in advance.
Despite the lack of confirmation that the talks will take place, President Donald Trump's special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said on Thursday to ABC News that he expects them to be held. According to Kellogg, the next step could be a trilateral meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Volodymyr Zelensky. Turkey has also offered to host these potential negotiations on its territory.
The deadlock over conditions has put Ukraine in an awkward diplomatic position, where it may face pressure from Washington to participate in technical talks proposed by Russia on Monday, even if Moscow does not present its memorandum in advance and despite Russia's refusal to ceasefire.
Trump expressed frustration over the delays in the negotiations, and US officials have repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the talks — a scenario that would ultimately benefit Russia.
Ukraine has little room to maneuver due to its ongoing dependence on US military and intelligence assistance. Nevertheless, Kyiv is unwilling to start negotiations based solely on previously proposed Russian conditions, which Ukraine considers unacceptable, including the demand to cede several major cities still under Ukrainian control and sharply reduce its armed forces.
Answering a question about the memorandum, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday that "nothing will be made public." "Both projects, Russian and Ukrainian, will, hopefully, be discussed in the second round of negotiations, for which the Russian delegation will be ready on Monday morning in Istanbul," he said.
Senior fellow at the Carnegie Center for Russia and Eurasia, Tatiana Stanovaya, believes that Russia's decision to delay presenting its conditions was a deliberate tactic to avoid any criticism of its position before the meeting.
"Moscow seems intent on depriving Ukraine and its European partners of any opportunity to devalue, criticize, or refuse to participate in the document before the meeting begins," she wrote on the social network X.