Zelenskiy Accuses Russia of ‘Another Deception’ for Withholding Peace Proposal Before Istanbul Talks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has accused Russia of deliberately stalling the peace process by failing to deliver a promised memorandum outlining Moscow’s settlement position in the ongoing conflict. Speaking in his nightly video address on Thursday, Zelenskiy called the absence of the document “yet another deception” by the Kremlin ahead of a proposed second round of negotiations in Istanbul.

“Even the so-called ‘memorandum’ they promised and supposedly prepared for more than a week has not been seen by anyone,” said Zelenskiy. “Ukraine has not received it. Our partners have not received it. Even Turkey, which hosted the first meeting, has not received the new agenda.”

He pointed out that Russia had made verbal commitments — particularly to the United States and former President Donald Trump — but had failed to follow through in writing. “Despite promises to the contrary… yet another Russian deception,” Zelenskiy declared.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated earlier this week that Moscow had drafted a peace proposal and suggested direct talks be held on Monday in Istanbul. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan responded optimistically, stating that renewed dialogue was the only path to resolution. “We are using all our diplomatic power and potential for peace,” Erdogan’s office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the White House echoed support for a renewed dialogue, expressing hope that the talks would proceed as planned in Istanbul.

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that Kyiv had not responded to the invitation to attend the proposed meeting. Zelenskiy, in turn, accused Russia of “doing everything to make the meetings hollow” and urged Ukraine’s international partners to ramp up pressure on Moscow.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi voiced skepticism over Russia’s intentions, stating that the withheld memorandum is likely “filled with unrealistic ultimatums” that Moscow is hesitant to disclose.

When asked about Ukraine’s demand that Russia immediately submit the peace proposal, Peskov called the suggestion “non-constructive” and emphasized that Kyiv must either confirm its readiness for negotiations or withdraw.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirmed that the delegation for the next round would remain unchanged. The first round included senior advisors, diplomats, and military officials from Russia’s security establishment.

Zelenskiy had previously invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the Istanbul peace talks directly. Putin declined, leading Zelenskiy to abstain from attending the meeting himself and instead send a delegation in his place.

As tensions persist and deadlines loom, the impasse over the missing memorandum adds another layer of uncertainty to the fragile diplomatic efforts.