Former Ukrainian Defense Minister and member of the negotiation group Oleksii Reznikov shared details about the behavior of the members of the Russian delegation during meetings with the Ukrainian side. According to him, in private conversations, the representatives of Russia demonstrated politeness and diplomacy, adhering to etiquette norms, even addressing some members of the Ukrainian delegation by their first name and patronymic, which is characteristic of Russian culture.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“Behind closed doors, they behave absolutely normally, delicately, diplomatically, humanely, with respect for their counterparts. This is absolutely true. There was no inappropriate behavior. Even some members of the Ukrainian delegation were addressed by their first name and patronymic in the tradition of Russian culture. Not everyone, but some were addressed: to me, for example,” says Reznikov.
Public behavior and information concealment
At the same time, Reznikov notes that after appearing before the media, Russian officials began to behave quite differently, demonstrating a different rhetoric and sending signals aimed solely at the domestic audience. According to the former minister, this tactic persists during negotiations in Turkey in 2025, as can be seen from the public statements of members of the Russian delegation.
Reznikov also provided an example where the Russian side refused to acknowledge significant losses in its army, which made it impossible to agree on the transfer of the bodies of fallen soldiers. According to him, this indicates that the Russian delegates did not convey important information to their leadership, fearing a negative reaction.
Negotiations on territories and Kyiv’s position
The former minister emphasized that Russian representatives did not always convey objective signals about Ukraine’s position, which affected the lack of changes in the decisions of the Russian leadership. He cited a case where the Ukrainian side proposed to involve the Red Cross in organizing the exchange of bodies of the deceased, but Russian officials refused to openly acknowledge the losses, limiting themselves to minimal figures and references to other causes of death.
Meanwhile, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky stated in an interview that Ukraine could lose more territories if it does not seek a compromise to end the war. He noted that Russia allegedly seeks peace but is prepared for a prolonged conflict, citing the example of the Great Northern War between Russia and Sweden, which lasted over 21 years.
In the negotiations, Moscow continues to insist on Ukraine’s recognition of the annexation of Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Luhansk, and Kherson regions within their administrative borders, which Kyiv categorically rejects. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly emphasized that the issue of territories can only be discussed in a personal meeting format with Putin, and legally, the annexation will not be recognized under any circumstances.
Despite the resumption of direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow in May 2025 with the support of the United States, the parties have not yet made significant progress in reaching an agreement to end the war.