The head of the Russian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul, presidential assistant Vladimir Medinsky, announced that Russian representatives will be waiting for the Ukrainian side from 10 AM on May 16. This comes in the context of organizing direct bilateral negotiations, which Russia is conducting without preconditions, with the aim of stabilizing the situation and seeking possible paths to peace.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Negotiations in Istanbul: Goals and Expectations
Medinsky noted that the delegation arrived in Istanbul on the president’s orders and has already held a productive meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. According to him, the Russian side is striving for an open dialogue and is ready to work:
“We explained our position. Tomorrow morning – literally from 10 AM – we will be waiting for the Ukrainian side to arrive for the meeting. We are ready to work”
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The Russian representative added that the negotiations in Istanbul will begin on May 16, and emphasized Russia’s readiness to resume the negotiation process that was interrupted in 2022. At the same time, the Ukrainian side insists that one of the key issues for future discussions is the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement for at least 30 days. This issue is a prerequisite for progress in peace negotiations.
Context of Ukrainian-Russian Negotiations
Prior to this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky approved the composition of the Ukrainian delegation that will participate in the negotiations with Russian representatives in Istanbul. It includes 12 officials led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Earlier, Zelensky expressed his willingness to speak personally with Vladimir Putin, but the Kremlin did not confirm the Russian leader’s participation in the negotiation process. On the evening of May 14, it was announced that Putin’s delegation would not be present, which reduces the likelihood of the Russian president’s personal involvement in the upcoming negotiations.