Zelenskyy explains the content of the Russian “memorandum”

Ukraine received an ultimatum from the Russian side during the negotiations in Istanbul on June 2. The content of this ultimatum matches the document that Russians had previously “leaked” to the media.

This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

According to him, the ultimatum-style format of this document explains why it was not handed over to Ukraine prior to the Istanbul meeting.

“The Russians understood it was an ultimatum, and that the Ukrainian side wouldn’t accept it — no one would take it seriously. Because it’s an ultimatum, not a memorandum of understanding… They didn’t give it to us because they knew that if it went public, Ukraine would have full grounds not to attend the meeting,” the Ukrainian President emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy believes the document was created solely to give the appearance to the United States that Russia is being constructive and to delay the imposition of sanctions.

“This whole performance is just to showcase fake diplomacy, to get Ukraine to attend. And to hand over a thousand people [in a prisoner exchange]. But again, it’s not constructive, because there isn’t even an exchange list yet,” he added.

The Ukrainian President noted that the first meeting in Istanbul did not differ from the second.

“The same ultimatum-style proposals they voiced back then were now just put on paper. What was said at the first Istanbul meeting is exactly what’s written in this paper,” he emphasized.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stated that Ukraine has still not received a response from the Kremlin to its own document, which was submitted to the Russian side before the start of the second meeting in Istanbul.