Russia has proposed a second peace settlement to Ukraine, which is scheduled to be held on 2nd June in Istanbul, Turkey. Both had a first settlement earlier this month; however, on that day, they didn't reach an agreement about stopping the war or declaring a ceasefire.
The war between the two countries (Russia & Ukraine) started in February 2022. Since then, it has displaced millions of people and caused a widespread damage in both countries. Now, most of the people around the world are asking for peace talks, because of which the first direct meeting between Russian and Ukrainian happened after the three years of long war in Istanbul on May 16. Turkey helped them fully in organising and guiding the meeting. During the meeting, they talked about an exchange of 1,000 prisoners from each side, but they did not discuss anything about stopping the war. Both the countries agreed to write down their ideas for a peaceful solution. They prepared documents called "memorandums" to show what each side wants for a future peace deal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Moscow has suggested them June 2 as the date for the second round of peace talks in Istanbul.
"Our team, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to present a memorandum to the Ukrainian side and will explain them everything clearly during the second round of direct talks in Istanbul on Monday, June 2," Lavrov said this in a video message. He also said he hopes that "everyone who truly wants the peace process to succeed must support holding this new round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul."
Ukraine has said that it is ready for more meetings, but with some conditions. Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who was part of Kyiv's delegation in the previous talks, confirmed that Ukraine is ready to take part in the meeting again. However, they also want Russia to quickly send its ceasefire proposal.
"We confirm that Ukraine is ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire and to keep working through diplomacy," Umerov said. He also added, "We are not against more meetings... but we are waiting for their memorandum so the meeting won’t be pointless and can truly help us get closer to ending the war." He also said that Ukraine had already sent its own peace terms and is waiting for Russia to respond before the June 2 deadline.
The upcoming talks are very important for peace and stability in both the region and also around the world. If the talks go well, it will reduce the fighting and possibly lead to a long-term peace deal. However, hopes are still low because the conflict between them is very complicated. Both Russia and Ukraine have strong demands. Russia, for example, wants Ukraine to give up its goal of joining NATO and also give up some land before it agrees to stop its military actions. Recent fighting, including shelling and drone attacks by both sides, shows how unstable the situation is. Meanwhile, the international community, including major countries like the United States, is putting more pressure on both the sides to take the peace talks seriously and stop the war.
The world will be watching both the countries closely on June 2 in Istanbul to see if these talks can bring any real step toward ending this terrible war.