CoEU Crisis Update 7- "Negotiation efforts continue"

For the past 24 hours, diplomatic contacts have been intense, with both sides trying to find a middle solution. Russia is making hardly any concessions, while the European representatives are constantly making proposals. The diplomatic situation regarding Russians citizens status though, made the Russian stance harder, with the Russian delegates threatening to leave the negotiation process and denying the supposed leak that Russia would be forced to back down, calling it laughable. However, under promises that the initiative will not be enforced if peace is achieved, negotiations continued. What European diplomats managed to achieve is the exclusive oil supplier status to be reduced to 20 years and the increase of the rate to stand at 1.5%. Regarding the lifting of sanctions, it was negotiated down to just sanctions and measures related to the Ukrainian situation, thus returning to the 2021 situation. As far as Ukraine's candidacy as a member state of the EU is concerned, Russia is not backing down despite the fact that Volodymyr Zelenskiy has declared that he will submit an application for membership. Also, Ukraine seems unwilling to at the same time both be denied membership in international negotiations and lose land that is currently at their control. The Council of the European Union is expected to propose compromises to both states in order to establish common grounds.