Russia and Ukraine at the Peace Negotiation Table – The Demands of Both Sides

The peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine have evolved into a thriller ahead of today’s talks in Istanbul (15.05.2025), as Russian President Vladimir Putin did not travel to Turkey. Third-party countries pressured both nations to sit at the negotiation table to achieve a ceasefire aimed at ending the war, with the presence of both Zelenskyy and Putin expected, though this did not materialize. Regardless, Russian and Ukrainian officials are set to meet today in Istanbul for the first bilateral peace talks since spring 2022, which previously failed to yield results. Before these highly anticipated discussions, here are the official positions of both sides, with details still unclear. Russian President Vladimir Putin maintains maximalist demands since the start of the invasion, emphasizing that the resolution process must address the ‘deep-rooted causes’ of the conflict, primarily Ukraine’s desire to join NATO—a move Moscow considers an existential threat. Russia claims four regions in southern and eastern Ukraine (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia) it partially controls, along with Crimea annexed in 2014. In March 2025, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that ‘international recognition’ of these territories belonging to Moscow is ‘imperative’ for conflict resolution. Putin has cited various reasons for invading Ukraine in 2022, mainly protecting Russian-speaking populations in eastern Ukraine and ‘denazification.’ Moscow demands that Western arms deliveries stop and ultra-nationalist Ukrainian groups be excluded. Additionally, Putin proposed a ‘transitional government’ under UN auspices, implying Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s departure. Meanwhile, Ukraine insists on no territorial concessions, demanding all Russian troops leave its soil. Zelenskyy asserts that Kyiv will not relinquish Crimea, legally part of Ukraine per its constitution. More broadly, Zelenskyy seeks ‘security guarantees’ from allies to prevent future Russian invasions post-peace agreement, including NATO membership—a possibility rejected by Moscow and former U.S. President Donald Trump. As an alternative, Ukraine suggested creating a Western military force supported by NATO if peace is achieved, also dismissed by Moscow. To initiate diplomatic conflict resolution, Kyiv, alongside Trump’s administration, has requested a 30-day unconditional ceasefire before talks. European allies, along with Americans, sent an ultimatum to Russia last weekend: accept this ceasefire or face ‘massive’ sanctions. Despite this pressure, Putin has so far rejected ceasefire calls, arguing it would allow Ukrainian forces to rearm via the West. However, following this pressure, the Russian president proposed direct talks today in Istanbul to end the war—the first since failed attempts in Belarus and Turkey in 2022.