Hope for Peace Talks: Kremlin Floats Idea of Revisiting Abandoned Deal with Ukraine

The Kremlin has proposed resurrecting the abandoned 2022 peace deal between Russia and Ukraine as a basis for new negotiations. However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that there has been no indication from Kyiv signaling readiness for such talks.

President Vladimir Putin has previously asserted that Russia and Ukraine were on the brink of reaching a peace agreement during talks in Istanbul in April 2022. However, negotiations collapsed when Ukraine withdrew following the withdrawal of Russian troops from areas near Kyiv.

The purported terms of the deal reportedly included provisions for Ukraine to maintain neutrality and refrain from joining NATO, as well as limitations on the size of its armed forces and special status for eastern Ukraine—terms that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has openly opposed.

Despite Putin's recent statements expressing readiness for realistic peace talks, he has vehemently opposed an upcoming peace conference requested by Ukraine to be held in Switzerland in June, deeming it meaningless without Russian participation. Putin cited the failure of the conference to acknowledge new geopolitical realities, particularly Russia's annexation of territories in Ukraine.

Zelensky, however, dismissed the possibility of using the 2022 talks as a basis for future negotiations, characterizing the meetings in Istanbul as not genuine negotiations but rather ultimatums.

A senior Ukrainian official acknowledged the close proximity to an agreement during the 2022 talks but cited a lack of trust in Russia's commitment to honoring any deal as the reason for Ukraine's withdrawal.

Dmitry Peskov highlighted the significant changes since 2022, including the expansion of Russian territory to include claimed regions in Ukraine. Nonetheless, he suggested that the abandoned Istanbul agreement could still form the basis for talks, affirming Russia's readiness while acknowledging a lack of reciprocal readiness from Ukraine.

Ukraine maintains its demand for the return of all its territories, including Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, and insists on the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from its soil.

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