Of Athena Papakosta

Russia and Ukraine fail once again to reach an agreement on a truce. The second round of talks between the two warring sides ended in Constantinople with Moscow and Kiev just committing to the exchange of prisoners of war.

According to the Ukrainian delegation, Moscow once again rejected an unconditional truce, a key to Kiev and its allies in Europe and the United States.

As the head of the Ukrainian delegation and Ukrainian defense minister pointed out, Rustem UmeroKiev insists on a complete and unconditional ceasefire, 30 days long, sea and air. He added that Kiev handed his terms to the Russian side ‘A few days before’but Moscow, on the other hand, did not do so and waited for it during the talks in Constantinople.

For its part, the Russian delegation, in a separate media update, stressed that it proposed a two or three -day truce in some areas on the front line, but without further detailing.

Eventually, in Monday’s talks in the neighbor – which lasted more than an hour – Russia and Ukraine They were sufficient to agree on the exchange of sick and severely injured prisoners of war, as well as those under 25 years old. The time frame for this remains at present unknown to the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Mentinsky, add that Russia, next week, will deliver to Ukraine bodies of 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers.

According to the Ukrainian delegation, Kiev is awaiting the Russians’ response to the Ukrainian proposal until the end of June, while also underlining the need to prepare for talks between Ukraine President Volodimir Zelenski and President of the Ukraine. So far, however, there has been no progress on this issue.

Moscow rejecting a complete and unconditional ceasefire of fire, talks about ‘Last Peace’repeating its maximalist claims, including Ukraine concessions to critical issues of sovereignty and security, with Kiev and its allies to underline that Moscow’s terms are nothing less than The capitulation of Ukraine.

Although the ceasefire proposals of both Russia and Ukraine have not been released, Russian state media have published key points of the Russian Memorandum on the truce.

According to them, Russia is seeking official recognition internationally its attached peninsula Crimeabut also of the Ukrainian regions of Luganskhis Donetskher Zaporia and her Peninsula as well as the removal of Ukrainian armed forces from these territories. It also calls for the neutrality of Ukraine and the prohibition of any military activity by third countries in its territory, limiting the size of the Ukrainian army, the Russian as an official language and the removal of existing international sanctions against Russia.