The head of the President’s Office, Andriy Yermak, said that Ukraine is ready to attend a new round of peace talks with Russia, scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul, only if there is a constructive approach, France 24 reports. To do this, Kyiv expects Moscow to provide a draft of its memorandum on a peaceful settlement.
“Ukraine is ready to take part in the next meeting, but we want to have a constructive discussion. This means that it is important to receive the Russian draft,” Yermak said.
The statement came amid rising tensions around the negotiation process. The Kremlin has not yet handed over the promised document, despite its promise to present it before the new round of talks.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has already called Kyiv’s demand “unconstructive,” but Ukraine insists that without familiarization with Russian conditions, the meeting risks turning into an empty formality again.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported the Office’s position, accusing Moscow of deliberate sabotage:
“Russia is doing everything to make these meetings empty. That is why we need additional pressure and new sanctions.”
The previous talks, held on May 16, resulted only in the exchange of prisoners. Ukraine emphasizes that the new round should be based on a real exchange of proposals, not on dumb dictation.
Meanwhile, the UN states that hope for a diplomatic settlement is “barely alive.” The United States, for its part, has warned that it may withdraw from the process and impose new sanctions against Russia if the Kremlin does not stop delaying.