During a conversation with journalists on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy provided details on the failed negotiations at the beginning of the conflict with Russia. According to him, someone from Ukraine brought him some papers at the end of February and the beginning of March 2022, and mediated an “ultimatum” from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskyy claimed that Putin demanded he step down as president in favor of pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, and that the terms included recognizing the Donbas as part of Russia, establishing the official status of the Russian language, confirming Ukraine’s neutrality, and reducing the strength of the Ukrainian military to 50,000 men. Additionally, Ukraine was supposed to give up or destroy all its weapons, including artillery with a range of up to 20 kilometers. Zelenskyy described the mediators as “damned” and said that he refused the ultimatum.
Zelenskyy also reported on the meeting in Istanbul, which was requested by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. According to the news portal Strana.ua, Zelenskyy said: “I said: ‘Okay, let them talk.’ They came again and presented another ultimatum. Therefore, we cannot say that we had any negotiations, because it was always ultimatums from Putin.”
In November 2023, David Arachamija, a Ukrainian parliamentarian and negotiator, stated that an agreement was almost complete in the spring of 2022. The crucial point for Russia was Ukraine’s neutrality. Kyiv, however, pulled out of the deal after former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recommended the continuation of the war. The negotiations in Istanbul likely ended in late April or early May 2022.