Parley Policy Initiative is keeping a record of ceasefire negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. This article will be updated with developments as they occur.
The negotiating room, as prepared by Belarusian officials for the initial round of negotiations on 28 February 2022 (via Belarus MFA)
20 March:
The UK hosts a joint planning conference with senior military officials from 31 countries to discuss a postwar peacekeeping force for Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer addresses the planners (full remarks below). Reports on the plans are scant, with speculation that European partners may be considering multidomain (air, land, maritime) peacekeeping forces numbering in the tens of thousands.
Vladimir Putin signs a decree aimed at forcing Ukrainians in occupied territories to renounce their Ukrainian citizenship or leave. The decree entitled "On the specifics of the legal status of certain categories of foreign citizens and stateless persons" appears designed to solidify Russia's claims to occupied territories ahead of ceasefire negotiations.
U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg appears on ABC news to discuss forthcoming negotiations in Saudia Arabia. He acknowledges that although he will be present, he will not engage with the Russian side (confirming reports that the Russian side does not want to deal with him). He describes the format, in which Ukrainian and Russian delegates will be kept in separate rooms as U.S. negotiators serve as interlocutors.
19 March:
President Volodymyr Zelensky announces via social media that Russian air strikes have continued across Ukraine despite the phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. He renews his call for increased pressure against Russia:
Right now, in many regions, you can literally hear what Russia truly needs. Around 40 "Shahed" drones are in our skies, and air defense is active. Unfortunately, there have been hits, specifically on civilian infrastructure. A direct hit by a "Shahed" drone on a hospital in Sumy, strikes on cities in the Donetsk region, and attack drones currently in the skies over the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy regions. It is these types of nighttime attacks by Russia that destroy our energy sector, our infrastructure, and the normal life of Ukrainians. And the fact that this night is no exception shows that the pressure on Russia must continue for the sake of peace. Today, Putin effectively rejected the proposal for a full ceasefire. It would be right for the world to respond by rejecting any attempts by Putin to prolong the war. Sanctions against Russia. Assistance to Ukraine. Strengthening allies in the free world and working toward security guarantees. And only a real cessation of strikes on civilian infrastructure by Russia, as proof of its willingness to end this war, can bring peace closer.
A photo posted by Volodymyr Zelensky showing the continued damaged from Russian airstrikes (photo via X/Twitter @ZelenskyyUa)
Ukraine and Russia conduct another negotiated prisoner exchange. The two sides swap 175-for-175, with Russia releasing an additional 22 severely injured as a "goodwill gesture" (one fewer than the 23 previously announced by Vladimir Putin). The UAE mediated this prisoner exchange.
Presidents Trump and Zelensky speak on the phone to discuss the results of the Trump-Putin conversation and the next steps for ceasefire negotiations. The two governments deliver disparate readouts (included in the file below).
18 March:
Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin speak on the phone to discuss the Russia-Ukraine peace process and normalization of U.S.-Russia ties, among other topics. The two governments deliver disparate readouts (included in the file below).
Ukrainian Presidential Adviser and former ceasefire negotiator Mykhailo Podolyak responded to the Kremlin's readout with the following on X/Twitter:
Let’s talk about something simple, infantile, and foolish—courtesy of a well-known Russian figure. On the eve of… Well, there’s the well-known American proposal to implement a “30-day ceasefire.” This is a clear ultimatum before negotiations, without any preconditions. Negotiations themselves (with conditions and political discussions) can only begin after the ceasefire is in effect. After all, peace—or even a truce—is not yet in place, and the war is far from over. And what does “Subject Putin” propose in response? Something absurd: “How about you stop supplying weapons to Ukraine, so it suffers from growing shortages, while we, on the other hand, continue building up our resources along the front? And after that, Russia (through some Lavrov-like figure) will simply say, ‘Well, we couldn’t reach an agreement, so let’s keep going.’” “But the most important thing is that you stop supplying them now, so they become weaker,” Putin continues. Hypocritical, traditional logic? Absolutely. But this is business as usual for Putin. He’s an open book, and his intentions are completely obvious.
13 March:
NBC news reports that the reason why US Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg was absent from the negotiations in Jeddah was owing to Russian opposition. Reportedly, the Kremlin objects to Kellogg's involvement in the peace process.
During a joint press conference with Alexander Lukashenko, Vladimir Putin commented on the 30-day ceasefire proposal, questioning the utility & expressing concerns over how it would be implemented.
Volodymyr Zelensky responded to Putin's tepid comments on the proposed 30-day ceasefire, asserting that Russia will delay the process to advance its war interests. He called upon partners to increase pressure through sanctions.
12 March:
Russia claims to have recaptured more than 20 settlements in the Kursk region as Vladimir Putin makes his first visit to the area since Ukraine's advance into the territory.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt states that National Security Adviser Mike Waltz spoke with his Russian counterpart by phone to discuss advancing peace negotiations.
11 March:
Delegates from the U.S. and Ukraine concluded senior level negotiations where the parties affirmed the following:
They will conclude the bilateral economic partnership agreement (the "minerals deal") as soon as possible
Ukraine confirmed its willingness to accept a 30-day ceasefire on all fronts (pending Russia's acceptance) to support a resumption of peace negotiations
The U.S. will resume intelligence sharing with Ukraine
The peace process must incorporate humanitarian relief efforts including the exchange of POWs, release of civilian detainees, and repatriation of forcibly deported children
The U.S. and Ukrainian governments will formally name their negotiating teams for the peace process
Ukraine will incorporate European partners into the peace process
The U.S. will reach out to Russia to discuss specific proposals
U.S. and Ukrainian officials meet for negotiations in Jeddah, 11 March 2023 (photo via X/Twitter @Rustem_Umervov)
18 February:
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for negotiations in Jeddah. Full readouts from the meeting in the file below:
12 February:
U.S. officials delivered key statements on negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine War. Takeaways below:
President Trump held phone calls with Presidents Putin, then Zelensky, affirming that U.S.-initiated peace negotiations will commence.
The U.S.-side negotiating team will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Ambassador Steve Witkoff.
Vice President JD Vance will lead a delegation in meeting President Zelensky in Munich on Friday, 14 February.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signaled key concessions, including the following:
No push to restore pre-2014 borders
No guarantees for Ukrainian membership to NATO as part of a negotiated settlement
No deployment of U.S. troops to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping or other type of contingent [Note: Hegseth indicated that the U.S. supports deployment of European and non-European peacekeepers]
Any peacekeeping contingent in Ukraine will not be a NATO deployment covered under Article 5 of the North Atlantic treaty
This is the start of the tenth chapter of the ceasefire negotiations. Links to the preceding chapters are here: Chapter I, Chapter II, Chapter III, Chapter IV, Chapter V, Chapter VI, Chapter VII, Chapter VIII, and Chapter IX.