Russia has dismissed the prospect of a ceasefire with Ukraine, issuing demands that Kyiv and Western allies have characterized as capitulation terms.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian state media that without addressing what Moscow calls the “root causes” of the war, no pause in hostilities will be permitted.
“We will not allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use any pause to rest or regroup,” Ryabkov said in an interview with TASS.
His remarks follow reports that during June 2 talks in Istanbul, Russia presented a memorandum outlining conditions for a potential end to the conflict. These include Ukraine’s full military withdrawal from occupied territories, legal recognition of Russia’s claims over Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, a freeze on foreign military assistance to Ukraine, and the demobilization of Ukraine’s armed forces.
Additional demands include a constitutional guarantee of Ukraine’s neutrality, a ban on foreign troop deployments, and elections to be held in Ukraine before a peace deal is finalized. Russia is also calling for official status for the Russian language, general amnesty for prisoners it labels as “political,” and immunity from legal claims over war-related damages.
Ryabkov linked Moscow’s posture to recent developments in Washington. “Trump’s return to the White House gives grounds for cautious optimism,” he said, suggesting that President Donald Trump’s stance on diplomacy could influence future relations. He claimed that President Vladimir Putin had emphasized the need to resolve the conflict through “political and diplomatic efforts” in conversations with Trump.
However, Ryabkov warned that Kremlin policy will remain unaffected by U.S. sanctions or pressure. “It is strange that the hotheads in the U.S. Senate ignore this reality,” he said, concluding that the path forward now rests with Washington and Trump.
In effect, Moscow’s position appears to rule out any immediate negotiations, instead reinforcing its intent to dictate terms from the battlefield.