Requirements are like deadlines. Made up things to keep us controlled.

Requirements keep management controlled, exposing them to the concept that change has cost (manager here).

Setting the scope of the work is what is keeping management controlled.

E.g. "In Version 1.0, it will talk to these 3 services only..."

But that is different from 'requirements' which I take it as 'things that are required' and have a non-negotiable connotation about them.

E.g. "It must work with all of our services"

Since it is not know which requirements are actually required and which are BS, it may be better to call requirements 'requested functionality' and what is planned to be delivered 'project scope' and drop the requirements word altogether.