kyivpost.com: Putin: Russia, Ukraine Peace Proposals Contradictory

Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged today that the Ukrainian and Russian peace proposals are at an impasse.

Putin delivered the remarks at a press conference in Minsk during his visit to the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

prisoners being exchanged.

Russia handed Ukraine its memorandum on June 2, including demands that Ukraine completely withdraw from occupied territories, limits on troop strength, weapons, and placing a permanent ban on NATO membership for Ukraine; terms which Kyiv says are unacceptable.

“As for the memorandums, as expected, nothing surprising happened... these are two absolutely contradictory memorandums,” Putin said at a press conference in Minsk, Belarus, according to the AFP.

Trump has long argued that only direct negotiations between himself and Putin will be able to end the war. Putin had reportedly offered to help mediate between Iran and Israel, to which Trump replied, “I said, ‘do me a favor, mediate your own [conflict],’” Trump told reporters on the White House lawn.

Jeff