Russia's initial ceasefire terms: Sovereignty limits for Ukraine

At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow presented demands to Kyiv that encompassed the near-total disarmament of the country and the surrender of Crimea and Donbas. This information was uncovered by the Radio Liberty portal, which accessed documents outlining the initial conditions for a ceasefire.

According to Radio Liberty's "System" project, Russia wanted Ukraine to become a state with limited sovereignty as a result of capitulation.

During the third round of negotiations in Belarus on 7 March 2022, Russia presented its demands to the Ukrainian authorities. The document, whose authenticity was verified by both Ukrainian and Russian sources, included, among other things, a demand for the recognition of the independence of the self-proclaimed republics in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the reduction of the Ukrainian army to 50,000 soldiers, including only 1,500 officers.

Russia also demanded the lifting of sanctions imposed on it after 2014 and the withdrawal of international proceedings. Ukraine was also required to recognise Russian as an official language and lift the ban on the use of Soviet symbols.

In return, Russia offered only a ceasefire without mentioning the withdrawal of its troops from Ukraine. During negotiations in Istanbul in April 2022, Moscow's demands were already milder, and Ukraine sought to include security guarantees in the discussions. Despite this, the parties did not reach an agreement and have not engaged in peace negotiations since then.

According to the "Financial Times", at the end of October 2024, the conflicting parties discussed ending attacks on energy facilities. Currently, contacts between the Ukrainian and Russian authorities are limited to the exchange of prisoners, kidnapped children, and the grain agreement.