Russia proposes to Ukraine date and venue for peace talks, expects a reply

Vladimir Medinsky, the head of Russia's delegation at peace talks on Ukraine, said on Wednesday he had sent proposals to Ukraine with a date and venue to exchange memorandums, or conditions, to stop the fighting.

Under pressure from US President Donald Trump to end the bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War Two, delegates from the warring countries met earlier this month in Istanbul for the first time since March 2022, the month after Russia sent troops to its neighbour.

The talks failed to reach an agreement for a ceasefire.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, after a call with Trump on May 19, said that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord.

Medinsky said on the Telegram messaging app that he had called Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov on Wednesday with proposals for the date and venue of the next meeting.

"Let me emphasise: right there, on the spot, we are ready to begin an essential, substantive discussion of each of the points of the package agreement on a possible ceasefire," he said.

Medinsky said he expected a reply from Ukraine and that Russia's delegation was ready to meet its Ukrainian counterparts face-to-face in the coming days.

Separately, Russian foreign ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said it was agreed that Russia and Ukraine would each prepare their vision of "modalities of settlement and ceasefire" and would discuss and exchange the documents at the next round of talks. 

Reuters