Two years ago Russia and Ukraine started an attempt at negotiation, which failed and was never resumed. The New York Times publishes the documents that reconstruct that attempt. The issues that should be addressed in any future peace agreement are obvious, and indeed two years ago were at the center of negotiations that explored the terms of the peace in considerable detail. The documents emerged from negotiating sessions that took place in the weeks after the war began, from February to April 2022. It was the only time the Ukrainians and Russians are known to have engaged in direct peace talks. The talks collapsed as both sides entrenched themselves on the battlefield, but not before negotiators produced several drafts of a treaty that was supposed to ensure Ukraine’s future security while meeting some of President Vladimir Putin’s demands. Moscow and Kiev appear further from peace than at any time since the full-scale invasion. On Friday, Putin said Russia would only agree to a ceasefire if Ukraine ceded four regions the Kremlin has declared part of Russia and abandoned its NATO aspirations. This was essentially a demand for capitulation, which the Ukrainian government immediately rejected. Ukraine’s current demands – the withdrawal of all Russian forces from Ukrainian territory – also appear unrealistic given Putin’s apparent resolve and the current advantages of his army. That includes the Crimean peninsula, which Putin annexed in 2014 in a swift operation that he sees as crucial to his legacy.
If and when Ukraine and Russia resume direct negotiations, the issues raised in documents produced at the start of the war, including the status of occupied Ukrainian territories and Ukraine’s future security guarantees, would remain relevant. Russia initially wanted Ukraine to recognize Crimea as part of Russia. A review of documents shows the two sides clashed over issues such as weapons levels, the terms of Ukraine’s potential membership of the European Union and specific Ukrainian laws on language and culture that Russia wanted to repeal. Ukraine’s negotiators have offered to renounce NATO membership and accept Russian occupation of parts of their territory. But they refused to recognize Russian sovereignty over them.
Two years later, there are still no signs that Russia and Ukraine will return to the negotiating table. In Switzerland, Zelensky tried to persuade dignitaries from around 100 countries and organizations, including US Vice President Kamala Harris, that victory remains realistic. Zelensky has pledged to continue fighting, describing his peace plan as one in which Russia will withdraw from all Ukrainian territory, pay reparations and be punished for war crimes.
