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The Kremlin considers Istanbul as a possible venue for the next round of negotiations with Ukraine, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov announced.
"At least the one where the first round was held," Peskov responded to a question about which venues are preferable for Russia. "The rest is a matter of mutual agreement."
When asked whether Istanbul is being considered as a venue for the next round, Peskov answered affirmatively. "Absolutely," he said.
On May 16, negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul— for the first time in three years. This essentially represents a resumption of dialogue that was interrupted in 2022 on Kyiv's initiative at the West's suggestion.
Kremlin Foreign Policy Advisor Yuriy Ushakov stated that U.S. President Donald Trump is not being informed about Ukraine's attacks on Russian cities.
Ushakov evaluated Trump's recent increasing criticism of Russia on the Russian state channel Rossiya 1. Explaining that they closely follow Trump's statements, Ushakov said: "In many respects, we conclude that Trump is not sufficiently informed about what is actually happening in the context of the Ukraine-Russia conflict."
Noting that Ukraine has increased its attacks on Russia recently, Ushakov said, "They are not informing Trump specifically about the increase in the frequency of mass terrorist attacks that Ukraine carries out against peaceful Russian cities."
Ushakov noted that Trump is only being informed about Russia's responses to attacks, stating, "Moreover, Trump does not fully understand that we only hit military infrastructure facilities."
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that they have reached the final stage in preparing Russia's memorandum draft on Ukraine and will then address the issue of the next negotiation round.
Peskov answered journalists' questions about current issues in the capital, Moscow. Evaluating U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of Russia, Peskov said, "It is clear that the U.S. and Trump are making significant efforts for the peace process and want a quick solution. We are grateful for Trump's mediation efforts."
Regarding the possibility of a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Peskov stated, "There is no change in our approach regarding the possibility of such a meeting. Such a meeting should be the result of certain agreements between the two delegations."
Explaining that a memorandum draft was prepared based on agreements reached in Istanbul negotiations, Peskov said, "Soon the memorandum drafts submitted by both sides will be revealed, and we will talk about the next negotiation round. The process is in its final stage, and the document will be ready soon."
The Kremlin spokesman also evaluated the possibility of a temporary cease-fire, saying, "A document is being prepared containing approaches to consult on a list of temporary ceasefire and peace conditions. Meanwhile, the special military operation continues."
Dmitry Peskov added that no decision has been made about the location of the next negotiation round between Russia and Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also stated they will announce a new round of negotiations with Ukraine as soon as possible, saying, "Negotiations are better than war. However, to achieve success in negotiations, fundamental causes must be eliminated."
Lavrov participated in the 13th Meeting of High Representatives Responsible for Security Issues held in the capital, Moscow.
Speaking there, Lavrov expressed that they restarted direct negotiations with Ukraine through US President Donald Trump's initiative, with the support of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia's administration, and are grateful to these countries for this.
Recalling that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were held in Istanbul on May 16 under Türkiye's hosting, Lavrov stated, "In the negotiations held in Istanbul, we insisted on the removal of all discriminatory laws (in Ukraine). We will be equally insistent on this issue in the new round of negotiations that we will announce as soon as possible."
Stating that fundamental causes of the Ukraine crisis must be eliminated, Lavrov said, "Negotiations are better than war. However, to achieve success in negotiations, fundamental causes must be eliminated. One of the fundamental causes is Ukraine's attraction to NATO. NATO's eastward expansion caused the emergence of the Ukraine issue and a crisis in the security field in Europe."
Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia's demands regarding Ukraine's neutrality and not possessing nuclear weapons must be met.
Stating that NATO is trying to strengthen its military infrastructure along Russian borders, Lavrov said this is worrying. Minister Lavrov noted that Germany's pursuit of self-militarization is also worrying.
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