Zelenskyy slams Moscow for dragging out war, demands harsher sanctions as Russian 'memorandum' remains unseen

He announced this on his Telegram channel.

"Everyone needs to speak honestly – everyone in the world, and especially those who supported the ceasefire. Russia is prolonging the war and doing everything to simply deceive countries that are still trying to influence Moscow with words, not pressure. Words do not work with Moscow," Zelenskyy said.

He also emphasized that the Russian Federation has still not provided the promised 'memorandum.' Neither Ukraine, nor its partners, nor Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, nor the United States or President Donald Trump have received the document.

"Another Russian deception. They do everything to make the meetings empty. And this is another reason for sufficient sanctions – sufficient pressure on Russia," the president added.

Ukraine-Russia negotiations: what is known

On May 16, delegations from Ukraine, the U.S., and Turkey met in Istanbul, followed by direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. According to Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, they discussed key issues like a prisoner exchange in a “1000 for 1000” format, the possibility of a ceasefire, and a potential meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin.

On May 19, after speaking with Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump announced that peace talks between Ukraine and Russia would start immediately. However, on May 20, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there was no set timeline for preparing a peace memorandum. 

Then on May 22, the Russian Foreign Ministry claimed that Zelenskyy didn’t have the authority to sign a peace deal and said Ukraine should elect a new president.

On May 27, U.S. Special Representative Keith Kellogg said the U.S. had received Ukraine’s peace conditions and was waiting for Russia’s memorandum. He also mentioned a possible location for future talks. 

On the same day, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan suggested Istanbul as the place for a new negotiation round.

On May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said a new round of talks between Russia and Ukraine would likely be announced soon. 

Meanwhile, Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said a meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy would only happen if specific agreements were reached. He added that work on Russia’s draft memorandum was nearly finished.

Also on May 28, Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov had contacted Russian official Medinsky, but Ukraine had not yet received Russia’s memorandum.