Trump says “Istanbul Protocol” will be the basis for peace treaty
24 February 2025 09:45
According to Steve Witkoff, the US President’s Special Envoy for the Middle East, the United States is close to reaching a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. And the basis for this peace agreement may be the same document that Russia forced Ukraine to sign in Istanbul in the spring of 2022. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to the Voice of America.
Speaking about the potential agreement, Vitkoff said:
“You will see concessions on both sides. And this is what the president does best. He brings people together. He makes them realize that the way to peace is to make concessions and reach consensus. And I think you will see a very successful result here.”
The official added that “we came very, very close to signing something” and mentioned the “Istanbul Protocol Agreement” as a possible basis for a peace treaty.
As you know, the Russian “peace treaty” of spring 2022 was an act of surrender by Ukraine. It provided for total demilitarization, refusal to join any military and political alliances, recognition of the occupied territories as Russian, Russian as the state language, etc. Under this agreement, Ukraine even had to pay Russia money to restore the occupied territories.
“It was a very, I would say, convincing and substantial negotiation within the framework of something called the Istanbul Protocol agreement. We came very, very close to signing something, and I think we will use this framework as a guideline for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia,”
– Mr. Vitkoff added.
Following his boss, Vitkoff also repeated the traditional, now Russian-American, narrative that the Russians were forced to attack in order to defend themselves:
“There was all sorts of talk about Ukraine joining NATO at the time… This actually became a threat to the Russians, and so we have to deal with this fact.”
“Istanbul Protocol”
What Witkoff calls the “Istanbul Protocol” was a draft of Ukraine’s de facto surrender. It stipulated that Ukraine should enshrine permanent neutrality in its Constitution and refuse to join any military alliances or conclude military agreements with other states.
Ukraine was prohibited from placing foreign military bases, warehouses, and other military facilities on its territory, including missile weapons of any type. It was also forbidden to develop, produce or purchase missile weapons with a range of more than 250 km.
The document required Ukraine to withdraw all interstate lawsuits against Russia filed since 2014, including cases in the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights and other instances. Ukraine also had to release Russia from any liability for claims filed by individuals and legal entities.
Under the terms of the agreement, Ukraine had to recognize Crimea and Sevastopol as part of the Russian Federation, as well as recognize the independence of the “DPR” and “LPR” within the administrative boundaries of the former Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Ukraine was obliged to restore the destroyed infrastructure of the DPR and LPR.
The agreement set strict limits on the Armed Forces of Ukraine: their maximum strength could not exceed 50,000 people, with clearly defined limits on the number of tanks, aircraft, ships and other military equipment.
The document demanded that the Russian language be granted state status throughout Ukraine and that any restrictions on its use be lifted. It also prohibited the “glorification of Nazism” and the activities of far-right organizations.
After the signing of the agreement, a ceasefire was to be declared, and Ukrainian troops were to return to their permanent locations. At the same time, Russian troops would remain in their positions until Ukraine fully fulfilled all its obligations under the agreement.
Control over the implementation of the agreement was to be exercised by Russia, and any disputes were to be resolved through consultations in a special commission, with decisions made by consensus.
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