Overview

• Moscow has added a demand that Ukraine destroy all Western-supplied weapons under international supervision before any ceasefire takes effect.
• Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko argued the measure is needed to prevent Western arms from entering European black markets, but there is no conclusive evidence of large-scale diversion.
• President Volodymyr Zelensky labeled the weapon-destruction clause an ultimatum and rejected it during June talks in Istanbul.
• Diplomatic delegations will reconvene in Istanbul to revisit Russia’s memorandum with potential follow-up discussions among G7 ministers in Canada.
• Western allies have provided over €270 billion in military aid to Ukraine since February 2022, highlighting the stakes of any enforced disarmament provision.