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The second round of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Turkey once again did not yield any ceasefire results on Monday and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin “must not receive any reward for [his] war.”
Despite an apparent memorandum of terms given to Ukraine by the Russian delegation, Moscow once again refused to agree to an unconditional ceasefire defined by a U.S. proposal and already agreed to by Kyiv.
Following the talks – which appeared to last for less than three hours, though some reporting noted they lasted for less than one hour – the head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, said his Russian counterparts not only refused ceasefire terms, but also to a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
This image taken from video released Jun. 1, 2025, by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service shows a Ukrainian drone striking Russian planes deep in Russia’s territory. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)
The Ukrainian president did not comment further on the substance of the talks. Ukraine has been given one week to review Russia’s terms for a ceasefire.
Ukraine’s terms first call for a 30-day land, air and sea-based ceasefire before Kyiv, alongside Washington and European allies, would then begin further negotiations with Moscow, according to a report by Reuters, which apparently obtained a copy of the conditions.
The document also reportedly states that the current location of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations about territory, and calls for no restrictions on Ukraine’s military, reparations for Ukraine and a refusal by the international community to acknowledge Russian sovereignty over the illegally occupied lands.
Zelenskyy also reiterated his position on Monday that Putin should not be allowed to dictate which countries are allowed to enter the NATO alliance, which Russia has repeatedly said is one of its demands over Ukraine.
Granting Ukraine NATO access would all but officially bar Russia from ever re-invading Ukraine as it would grant Kyiv Article 5 protections, which confirm an attack on one NATO ally will be treated as an attack on all NATO allies and responded to accordingly.
(L-R) Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda, Poland’s President Andrzej Duda and Romania’s President Nicusor Dan attend a joint press conference during a summit with the leaders of NATO’s eastern and Nordic members (B9 and Nordic countries) on Jun. 2, 2025, in Vilnius, Lithuania. (PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP via Getty Images)
“If Putin is allowed to decide who joins NATO, where NATO infrastructure can or can’t be, then Russia’s appetite for war will only grow. Our shared goal is the opposite – to completely end Russia’s hunger for aggression,” Zelenskyy said.
“Strong decisions are needed. Decisions for Europe, not for Putin. We all need to work together to make this really happen. And it’s doable,” he added.
A future meeting between Ukraine and Russia has yet to be announced.