Russia released the full text of the ceasefire memorandum it submitted to Ukraine yesterday afternoon during negotiations between the two countries’ delegations.

Moscow is demanding a number of concessions from Kiev to agree to lay down its arms, without showing – for now – any willingness to give in to its demands.

In the main points of the memo, Russia asks:

– International legal recognition of the inclusion of Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson into Russia
– Declaration of Ukraine’s neutrality and its refusal to join military alliances
– Prohibition of military activities of other states in Ukraine
– ensuring Ukraine’s non-nuclear character
– Determination of the maximum number of Ukraine’s armed forces
– lifting economic sanctions imposed on Russia
– safeguarding the rights and freedoms of the Russian-speaking population
– lifting restrictions on the activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church
– a ban on the glorification of Nazism
– gradual restoration of diplomatic and economic relations with Ukraine
– mutual renunciation of claims for damages caused by military operations
– Resolution of issues related to the reunification of families and displaced persons.

In addition, Russia offers two options for the ceasefire:

Option 1:Withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from Russian-held territory in Ukraine’s Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Kherson regions

Option 2: Ban on the redeployment of Ukraine’s armed forces, end mobilization and begin demobilization, blockade of third country military presence, cut off foreign military aid to Kiev, Kiev’s refusal to sabotage Russia, mutual amnesty for political prisoners and release of detained civilians, lifting martial law in Ukraine, holding elections in Ukraine no later than 100 days after the lifting of martial law.

“They are stupid Russians”: Zelensky rejects Moscow’s proposal for a 2-3 day ceasefire

Russia’s tactics to buy time are a tactic to buy time is a proposal for a temporary and limited ceasefire, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes.

The proposal for a two- or three-day ceasefire to pick up fallen soldiers from the battlefield, he said, is intended to delay U.S. sanctions.

“I think they are stupid because, in principle, a ceasefire is meant to ensure that there are no casualties,” Zelensky said in a conversation with reporters.

“That’s why I want our American partners to take strong measures and send a sanctions package to the Senate to pressure the Russians to stop hostilities with strong sanctions. They don’t understand any other way. And we believe that this is fair,” said the Ukrainian president, who added that “after all, it has been three months since the US signaled a complete ceasefire and we supported them.”

He also stressed that Ukraine has not changed its demands. What it is asking for is an unconditional ceasefire, prisoner exchange, return of abducted children, return of civilians, and then a meeting of the leaders.

In another development, Zelensky said that the Ukrainian and Russian delegations attending the second round of talks in Istanbul today, Monday, agreed to draw up lists of names of prisoners of war to be included in the planned exchange.

Ukrainian and Russian negotiators agreed to an exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war from each side, with the possibility of adding another 200 POWs.

He also said that an agreement had been reached to return the remains of soldiers killed during this war, but stressed that this would require careful preparation.