Negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations are starting in the Turkish city of Istanbul.
The Russian delegation is headed by Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side in 2022 at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian delegation is led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Umerov, said that peace is only possible if Russia agrees to a 30-day ceasefire. He wrote this on his Facebook page ahead of the meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.
‘Peace is only possible if Russia demonstrates readiness for concrete actions — including a full ceasefire for at least 30 days and humanitarian steps such as the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian children and prisoner exchanges under the “all for all” formula,’ Umerov said.
At the same time, Russia had previously set conditions for a 30-day truce: the cessation of Western arms supplies and the halt of mobilisation in Ukraine.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready for a personal meeting with Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on 15 May, where the Kremlin leader offered Ukraine direct talks. However, Putin will definitely not be at the talks, the Kremlin said.