**Russia Delays Ceasefire Memorandum Amid Rising Tensions with Ukraine**
The war in Ukraine seems to be far from over, as Russia has delayed the delivery of a proposed ceasefire memorandum. According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the Russian side had completed drafting the document outlining steps towards a truce, but continues to hold it back.
This development comes after a series of high-level talks between Ukrainian and Russian officials in recent weeks. On May 16th, the two sides held direct negotiations in Istanbul for the first time since 2022. The meeting was attended by leaders from Turkey and the US, who have been trying to facilitate peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
**A Proposal with Conditions**
In a statement on Facebook, Umerov revealed that Russia had initially tried to postpone the entire memorandum process, but ultimately completed the draft after facing pressure from international leaders. However, despite finishing the document, Russia has not yet delivered it to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine, on the other hand, has already provided its position document to the head of the Russian delegation. The proposal includes a full and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, an all-for-all prisoner swap, and direct negotiations between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin. However, Russia has refused to accept these conditions, demanding instead that Ukraine withdraw its troops from four occupied regions claimed by Moscow.
**A “Dead End” in Negotiations**
US Vice President J.D. Vance has described the negotiation process as having reached a “dead end.” The delay in delivering the ceasefire memorandum is seen as a major obstacle to finding a solution to the conflict.
In an interview, Umerov stressed that the exchange of documents with conditions to end the war was supposed to be mutual following the Istanbul meeting. However, only Ukraine has delivered its proposals to Russia, leaving the future of peace talks uncertain.
**A Four-Day Deadline**
Ukrainian officials have given Russia a four-day deadline to deliver the ceasefire memorandum, or risk scuttling further negotiations. The stakes are high, and it remains to be seen whether Russia will finally take concrete steps towards a truce.
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