Burc Eruygur
20 May 2025•Update: 21 May 2025
ISTANBUL
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukraine and Russia can sign a memorandum that will include provisions for a ceasefire, following a phone call between his Russian and US counterparts the day prior.
On Monday, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held an over two-hour phone call to discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war, with the latter saying he conveyed during the call that Moscow will propose and is ready to work with Kyiv on a memorandum regarding a possible peace deal.
Putin described the call as “frank and substantive,” saying during a press briefing in the resort city of Sochi that both countries should show “maximum desire” to reach peace and find “compromises” that will suit each other.
“There could be a respective memorandum in the bilateral format, which may then lead to a roadmap toward ending the war, that is, toward a full agreement. This memorandum, supported by both countries, would include provisions for a ceasefire,” Zelenskyy told reporters in Kyiv late Monday.
Expressing that the contents of such a memorandum between Russia and Ukraine are still unknown at this stage, Zelenskyy said he believes that it will not remain a secret if Moscow proposes it and that Kyiv will be able to formulate its vision once it receives Russia’s proposals.
Zelenskyy said that he had two talks with his US counterpart, one before his call with Putin and another “lengthy” conversation afterwards involving the leaders of France, Finland, Germany, Italy, and the EU.
He noted that Trump sees direct talks between Ukraine and Russia as the most important thing, based on his understanding.
“In essence, he believes that it is Russia that should present clear signals — how they see a possible ceasefire and the next steps, their vision of the process,” Zelenskyy said.
A high-level meeting involving Ukraine, Russia, the US, EU countries, and the UK to end the ongoing conflict is currently being considered. Ukraine is considering various potential venues for possible peace talks with Russia, including Istanbul, Switzerland, and the Vatican.
On Friday, the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul hosted high-level peace talks between Russia and Ukraine facilitated by Türkiye, where both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war each and continue with negotiations for a truce.
Zelenskyy reiterated his gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for organizing the high-level talks in Türkiye.
He also denied that Ukraine will withdraw its troops from its own territory and added that the details and dates for the prisoner swap deal reached in Istanbul are already being discussed between Moscow and Kyiv.
