NEW YORK/WASHINGTON. Russia has reportedly presented the United States with a list of demands aimed at ending its war against Ukraine and redefining relations with Washington, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
While the exact details of Moscow’s demands remain unclear, it is uncertain whether Russia will engage in direct peace talks with Kyiv before the terms are accepted. According to sources, discussions between Russian and U.S. officials have taken place over the past three weeks, both in person and virtually.
The conditions outlined by the Kremlin are said to be broad and consistent with previous demands made to Ukraine, NATO, and the United States. These include barring Ukraine from joining NATO, prohibiting the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine, and international recognition of Russian sovereignty over Crimea and four Ukrainian provinces.
Russia has also reiterated its longstanding position that NATO’s expansion eastward is the root cause of the war.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly awaiting a response from Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding a proposed 30-day truce, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated he would accept as a first step toward peace negotiations. However, Putin’s stance on a ceasefire remains uncertain, with key details yet to be finalized.
Some U.S. officials and analysts remain skeptical of Moscow’s intentions, warning that Putin could use a ceasefire to consolidate gains and create divisions between the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe.
The White House and the Russian embassy in Washington have yet to issue statements regarding the latest developments. In Kyiv, President Zelensky hailed a recent meeting between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia as “constructive,” emphasizing that a temporary ceasefire could serve as the basis for broader negotiations.
Russia has pushed similar demands over the past two decades, some of which have been discussed in formal negotiations with the U.S. and Europe. Before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow had engaged in talks with the Biden administration on limiting NATO’s influence in Eastern Europe.
Despite these efforts, the invasion proceeded on February 24, 2022, after the Biden administration rejected key elements of Russia’s proposals while still attempting diplomatic engagement.
Recent reports indicate that U.S., Russian, and Ukrainian officials have revisited a draft agreement initially discussed in Istanbul in 2022. The agreement, which never materialized, proposed that Ukraine abandon its NATO ambitions, adopt a neutral nuclear-free status, and allow Russia a veto over military assistance from other nations.
There appears to be division within the Trump administration regarding the path forward. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has described the Istanbul negotiations as “cogent and substantive,” suggesting they could serve as a roadmap for peace. However, Trump’s top Ukraine and Russia envoy, retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, has dismissed the framework, stating, “I think we have to develop something entirely new.”
Experts argue that Russia’s demands are not just about Ukraine but part of a broader strategy to reshape security dynamics in Europe.
“There’s no sign that the Russians are willing to make any concessions,” said Angela Stent, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and former U.S. intelligence analyst for Russia and Eurasia. “The demands haven’t changed at all. I think they are not really interested in peace or a meaningful ceasefire.”
Documents reviewed by Reuters suggest that before the invasion, the Biden administration engaged with Russian counterparts on three key demands: limiting U.S. and NATO military exercises in new alliance member territories, banning U.S. intermediate-range missile deployments in Europe, and restricting U.S. military activities from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.
Kori Schake, a former Pentagon official and director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, warned of shifting U.S. relations with Europe, stating, “These are the same Russian demands that have been made since 1945. With the behavior of the Trump administration in recent weeks, Europeans aren’t just scared we’re abandoning them—they’re afraid we’ve joined the enemy.”
As negotiations continue, the future of U.S.-Russia relations and the trajectory of the Ukraine war remain uncertain.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
- Gary P Hernalhttps://tutubi.ph/author/gary-hernal/
