Will Moscow Deliver a Peace Memorandum to Kyiv Soon?

Moscow, May 27 (NationPress) Moscow is set to deliver a draft peace memorandum to Kyiv shortly, detailing the fundamental principles for a potential settlement, according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova, who made the announcement on Tuesday.

"Russia is actively engaged in formulating a draft memorandum concerning a future peace treaty. This document will encompass several key aspects, including settlement principles, timelines for a possible peace agreement, and conditions for a ceasefire," Zakharova stated during her weekly press briefing.

She mentioned that once the memorandum is finalized, it will be dispatched to Kyiv, and expressed the hope that Ukraine would also be preparing its own draft in response, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

"We anticipate that the Ukrainian side is undertaking similar efforts and will present its proposals concurrently with the receipt of the Russian document," Zakharova added.

She characterized the negotiations following the agreements made during the direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul earlier this month as "challenging" due to Kyiv's stance, accusing President Zelensky of obstructing the "growing peaceful progress".

In a recent phone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump concurred that Russia would draft a memorandum outlining the terms for a prospective peace deal with Ukraine.

During a phone call on May 19, Trump and Putin spent over two hours discussing strategies to achieve a ceasefire in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. Putin noted that he emphasized during the call that Moscow is prepared to collaborate with Kyiv on a memorandum regarding a potential peace agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky remarked that both nations could sign a memorandum that would incorporate ceasefire provisions, although the specifics remain unknown. He stated that Kyiv would be able to articulate its stance once it receives the draft from Russia.

Zakharova also addressed Trump's initiative to implement a "Golden Dome" missile defense system, claiming that the project threatens strategic stability.

Last week, the US President announced the selection of the "architecture" for his much-anticipated "Golden Dome" missile defense initiative, which he estimates will cost $175 billion over the next three years.

"This approach is reckless; it directly undermines the foundations of strategic stability," Zakharova asserted, arguing that the project's goal to enhance military operations in space exacerbates the situation.

She warned that this transforms space into a realm for "weapon deployment and armed conflict".

Zakharova pointed out that the perspectives of Russia and China on this issue and others vital to strategic stability are either entirely aligned or very similar. She added that resuming discussions with the US on this matter is currently unfeasible due to the absence of favorable conditions.

Furthermore, Zakharova responded to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's comments on Monday regarding the removal of range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine, claiming that Berlin is only "digging itself deeper into the hole that the Kyiv regime it supports has long occupied".

"It is questionable whether the head of the German government was authorized to make such statements on behalf of other nations, as he claimed this decision was made by France, Britain, and the US," she said.

She also accused Merz of "playing with the fate of Europe, at the very least," and engaging in "self-promotion".

The German Chancellor has not provided an immediate response to Zakharova's comments.