Russia has presented the US with a list of demands for a deal to end its war against Ukraine and reset relations with Washington.
It is yet unclear what exactly Moscow included on its list or whether it is willing to engage in peace talks with Kyiv prior to their acceptance.
Recall that Russian and American officials discussed the terms during in-person and virtual conversations over the last three weeks.
The officials of both countries described the Kremlin’s terms as broad and similar to demands it previously has presented to Ukraine, the US and NATO.
It was gathered that the earlier terms included no NATO membership for Kyiv, an agreement not to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine and international recognition of President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Crimea and four provinces belong to Russia.
In recent years, Russia has also demanded that the US and NATO address what it has called the root causes of the war, including NATO’s eastward expansion.
President Donald Trump awaits word from Putin on whether he will agree to a 30-day truce that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Tuesday he would accept as a first step toward peace talks.
It was further learned that Putin’s commitment to a potential ceasefire agreement is still uncertain, with details yet to be finalized.
Some U.S. officials, lawmakers and experts fear that Putin, a former KGB officer, would use a truce to intensify what they say is an effort to divide the US, Ukraine and Europe and undermine any talks.
The Russian embassy in Washington and the White House have not yet commented on the development.