President Zelensky accuses Russia of another deception regarding the “memorandum”: claiming that Moscow has yet to fulfill any of its promises, thereby undermining Ukraine’s diplomatic efforts and those of its partners
In his traditional address on May 29, President Volodymyr Zelensky once again emphasized that the Russian side cynically abuses the trust of Ukrainian and international partners by hiding the so-called “memorandum,” which, according to him, Moscow promised to provide more than a week ago but has still not done so. According to the president, the Russians simply do not fulfill their commitments, and their words remain empty. Zelensky stressed: “Words from Moscow don’t work. Even the so-called ‘memorandum,’ which they promised and claimed to have been preparing for a long time, no one has seen. Ukraine hasn’t received it. Neither do our international partners. Even Turkey, which hosted the first negotiation meeting, has not been shown the new document. Meanwhile, they promised just the opposite, including to the United States of America and President Trump.” This, Zelensky says, is another deception by Moscow. The official leader of Ukraine emphasized that Russia plays a role in turning all negotiations and meetings into a kind of false spectacle — without coordinated steps or real results. All of this, the president underlined, indicates Russia’s unwillingness to engage in an honest dialogue, but rather a desire to artificially prolong the process, ignoring international norms and agreements. Zelensky noted that this situation is yet another reason to strengthen sanctions pressure on Russia: “Now, as they continue to create artificial obstacles and refuse to fulfill their obligations, there is no reason to relax. On the contrary, we need to intensify the pressure to force them to act within the framework of international agreements.” The background to this situation is the recent information that Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov provided an official document to Russia, reflecting Ukraine’s position on the possibility of a ceasefire. It was expected that the Russians would respond with their own “memorandum,” which Ukrainian officials held serious expectations for, hoping for meaningful dialogue and coordination. At the same time, on May 23, President Zelensky emphasized that the “formulation” of the so-called “memorandum” by Russia, which—according to the Ukrainian leader—has been in the stage of preparation for over a week, is nothing but mockery of the entire world. They demonstrate an unwillingness to reach real agreements and create the illusion of dialogue, where in fact there are no serious commitments or intentions. Thus, the Ukrainian authorities once again underline: Moscow cynically manipulates the international community, and this ongoing disregard damages trust in the negotiation process. Meanwhile, Ukrainian military and political leaders are calling for more active actions—strengthening sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and rejecting any fake “agreements” that lack real substance and enforceability. The trajectory of the conflict remains tense, and Moscow continues to demonstrate a consistent pattern of deception and manipulation, which only emphasizes the need for tougher measures and firm international support for Ukraine.