Moscow has presented a list of demands to the United States authorities that need to be met in order for the war in Ukraine to end.
According to news outlets, the demands also aimed at resetting the Kremlin’s relations with Washington, D.C.
The list of demands was made just before Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that it had taken over Sudzha, the largest town in the Kursk area that Ukrainian forces had occupied since the unexpected cross-border invasion in August 2024. The takeover came after a visit to the region’s military headquarters and conversations with military leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The exact contents of Russia’s demands are unknown at this time; however, they are allegedly similar to demands made to NATO, the United States, and Ukraine in the past.
According to reports, during the past two weeks, Russian and American officials had reportedly spoken face-to-face and virtually about the terms.
Prior requirements included international endorsement of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Russia owns Crimea and four provinces, not allowing Ukraine to join NATO, and an agreement to refrain from sending foreign troops to Ukraine.
As of Wednesday, the president still awaits word if Putin would agree to a 30-day truce that Zelenskyy agreed to during cease-fire negotiations in Saudi Arabia.
The Kremlin also stated on Wednesday that it awaits more details about the proposal before issuing a statement. The secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has stated that he would brief Russia.
Rubio told reporters, “We’re going to bring it to them directly.” “We’re going to say that Ukraine is prepared to stop all battlefield activity and begin an immediate process of negotiating an enduring end of the war. And we’ll see what their response is. If their response is yes, then we know we’ve made real progress, and there’s a real chance of peace. If their response is no, it will be highly unfortunate, and then it’ll make their intentions clear.”
