Russian President Vladimir Putin has outlined a set of conditions for ending the war in Ukraine, demanding written guarantees from Western leaders to halt NATO’s eastward expansion and calling for a partial rollback of sanctions, according to three Russian sources familiar with the ongoing talks.
The development comes amid rising tensions between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump, who has long pledged to end the conflict—the most devastating in Europe since World War II. On Tuesday, Trump reportedly expressed frustration with Putin, warning that the Russian leader was “playing with fire” by refusing to engage in ceasefire discussions, despite recent Russian advances on the battlefield.
According to the sources, after a two-hour phone call with Trump last week, Putin agreed to begin drafting a memorandum with Ukraine outlining the terms of a potential peace deal, including a proposed timeline for a ceasefire. While Russia is reportedly working on its version of the agreement, no deadline has been set for its completion.
Western and Ukrainian officials have accused the Kremlin of dragging out negotiations while continuing its offensive in eastern Ukraine.
“Putin is open to peace—but only on his terms,” said a senior Kremlin insider, speaking anonymously.
Russia’s reported demands include:
1. A formal, written pledge from Western powers not to expand NATO to include Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, or other former Soviet states.
2. Ukraine’s declaration of neutrality.
3. Partial lifting of Western sanctions against Russia.
4. Resolution of disputes over frozen Russian sovereign assets.
5. Guarantees for the protection of Russian-speaking populations within Ukraine.
One source noted that if Putin cannot secure peace under these terms, he is prepared to escalate the conflict further to pressure Ukraine and its Western allies.
So far, neither the Kremlin nor Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office has officially responded to the reported demands. NATO also declined to comment, although it has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to its “open door” policy for prospective members.
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 after years of simmering tensions and armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. Today, Russian forces occupy nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory, including parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, along with Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
Despite making some territorial gains, Russia continues to suffer heavy casualties, and the economic impact is mounting. Reports have cited growing concern within the Kremlin over labor shortages, high inflation, and declining oil revenues—core pillars of Russia’s economy.
A second source familiar with the talks said Putin has hardened his stance on territorial issues and now insists on full Russian control over the four eastern Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow. “Putin has toughened his position,” the source said.
Putin has long viewed NATO’s expansion as a direct threat to Russian national security. He has repeatedly accused the West of violating verbal promises made after the Cold War to limit the alliance’s reach.
In 2008, NATO announced that Ukraine and Georgia would eventually join the alliance. Ukraine later amended its constitution in 2019 to enshrine its aspiration to join both NATO and the European Union.
In 2021, Moscow submitted a draft security treaty demanding written assurances from NATO to halt further enlargement, including a pledge to bar Ukraine’s membership. The proposal was rejected by Western leaders, who insisted that Russia cannot dictate NATO’s decisions.
Putin is now seeking written, legally binding guarantees—arguing that past verbal commitments, such as those allegedly made by then-U.S. Secretary of State James Baker to Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, proved unreliable.
The invasion has significantly altered the geopolitical landscape. Finland joined NATO in 2023, followed by Sweden in 2024, both citing heightened security concerns.
Western leaders continue to warn that a Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden the Kremlin to target NATO countries, potentially triggering a broader conflict. Moscow has dismissed such warnings as fear-mongering, while also cautioning that failure to resolve the war diplomatically could lead to wider confrontation.
Meanwhile, Trump has threatened renewed sanctions if a peace deal isn’t reached soon. In a recent social media post, he accused Putin of going “absolutely CRAZY” after Russia launched a massive aerial assault on Ukraine.
