Zelenskyy says Russia still hasn’t delivered promised memorandum
Ukrainian leader warns ‘words with Moscow do not work,� urges pressure as document delay continues
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
ISTANBUL
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday said Russia has failed to deliver the memorandum it promised over a week ago, accusing Moscow of undermining peace efforts and misleading international mediators.
“Words with Moscow do not work,” Zelenskyy said after a top-level meeting with Ukrainian defense and diplomatic officials.
“Even the so-called memorandum that they promised and supposedly prepared for more than a week, no one has seen yet. They did not hand it over to Ukraine. They did not hand it over to our partners.”
Zelenskyy stressed that despite continued coordination with the US, European countries, and Türkiye ahead of expected talks, Russia’s delay indicates it is trying to sabotage the process.
He warned that Moscow’s behavior is another example of deception aimed at buying time and avoiding accountability, adding that tougher sanctions are needed. “They are doing everything they can to make the meetings futile.”
The second round of direct Russia-Ukraine peace talks is proposed by Russia for June 2 in Istanbul.
The first round, held on May 16, included a major prisoner exchange and an agreement to exchange written proposals. Russia has claimed it is ready to present its memorandum, but Ukrainian officials say nothing has been received yet.
