Russia wants the peace negotiations to leave the agreement of 2022 now. What we know about the “Istanbul statement”

The peace discussions proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin with Ukraine will take into account the 2022 abandoned agreement between the two countries and the reality of Russia's control over almost one fifth of Ukraine, the Kremlin announced on Sunday.

Putin proposed direct discussions with Ukraine on Sunday for a “sustainable peace”, an initiative welcomed by Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski, who said that Kiev is willing to discuss, but that Moscow must first accept an immediate cessation of fire.

The Russians want to leave the “Istanbul statement”

The Kremlin counselor for foreign policy, Iuri Usakov, told the press, after Putin's statement that the proposed discussions will consider both the project abandoned in 2022 and the current situation on the ground.

A few days after Russia's large-scale invasion in Ukraine in February 2022, Russia and Ukraine began discussions in Belarus, which later moved to Istanbul. A project of agreement agreed there, which set a framework for a possible settlement, became known as the “Istanbul statement”.

The discussions were interrupted in May, but Russian officials have long argue that an agreement can be reached in accordance with the provisions of the Istanbul statement.

Steve Witkoff, the special envoy of US President Donald Trump, was also referred to the 2022 project as a possible model of future peace.

What provided the provisional agreement of 2022

According to the project, which has been seen by Reuters, Ukraine should accept permanent neutrality in exchange for international security guarantees from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council: UK, China, France, Russia and the United States, but also other nations, including Belarus, Canada, Germany, Israel and Turkey.

Essentially, Ukraine has provisionally accepted non-nuclear neutrality and non-apparture at the NATO military alliance in exchange for a security guarantee that, in the case of a Russian invasion, would oblige the United States and their allies to fight directly with Russia.

The problem of the territory in version 2022 was of secondary rank compared to the security guarantee – considered by the diplomats of both parties as by far the greatest obstacle to peace.

Ukraine, after being invaded, wanted his security to be guaranteed, but the United States and its allies were away from the idea of ​​involving in a future war with Russia.

According to the project of 2022, the path of Ukraine to a possible accession to the European Union was to be facilitated.

Also, Russia wanted to limit Ukraine's armed forces and to repeal the laws that Moscow considers discriminatory towards Russian speakers.