**Ukraine’s Defense Minister Slams Russia for “Stalling” in Peace Talks**
The war between Ukraine and Russia has been ongoing for months, with no clear end in sight. Yesterday, June 2, another round of peace talks took place in Istanbul, but the meeting was largely inconclusive. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov accused Russia of trying to buy time by not submitting its proposals until the last minute.
According to Umerov, the Russians only handed over a memorandum of their proposal during the meeting itself, making it impossible for both sides to reach an agreement. “This is just another attempt to buy time,” he said in a Facebook post. “If that’s the case, then there should be one response: tougher international sanctions.”
**A Long Way from Ceasefire**
Ukraine had presented its proposal for a ceasefire on the front lines, but Russia rejected it. Instead, they offered a temporary two- to three-day ceasefire in specific areas of the front line to allow for the retrieval of fallen soldiers’ bodies. This was met with criticism by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who called Russia’s proposal an “imitation of negotiations.”
Umerov emphasized that Ukraine has been pushing for a real peace agreement for many months, and that Russia’s proposal is just a ploy to delay the conflict. “Russia rejects even the very idea of stopping the killings,” he said. “That’s why we appeal to the world: pressure is needed for real peace, not for an imitation of negotiations.”
**Some Progress, But Not Enough**
Despite the lack of progress on a ceasefire, Ukraine and Russia did agree to work on another prisoner exchange, with up to 1,200 captives from each side. This is a small step forward, but it’s clear that much more needs to be done to bring an end to this brutal conflict.
As Umerov pointed out, the world needs to put pressure on Russia to make real progress towards peace. “Pressure is needed for real peace,” he said. It remains to be seen if the international community will take action to push Russia towards a ceasefire, but one thing is clear: Ukraine and its people deserve better than endless talks that lead nowhere.
Read More @ kyivindependent.com
