On October 18-19, the Russian side sent the United States an unofficial document reiterating the conditions for transferring full control over Donbas, reports Reuters citing informed sources.
According to a statement by one of the U.S. officials, the document also contains an additional Russian demand prohibiting the deployment of NATO troops on Ukrainian territory as part of a peace settlement.
Reuters notes that the report emphasizes Russia's commitment to "maximalist demands" regarding a peace agreement.
On October 16, a telephone conversation took place between U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, after which the American leader announced plans for the parties to hold a personal meeting in Budapest within a two-week timeframe.
However, on October 21, reports emerged in the media that the meeting would not take place in the near future. According to The Wall Street Journal, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, expressed the view that the meeting "is unlikely to lead to positive results in peace negotiations."
On the morning of October 22, Donald Trump stated that the U.S. has not yet made a "final decision" regarding the meeting in Budapest. In response, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund Kirill Dmitriev stated that preparations for the negotiations continue, despite the reports appearing in the media.