Newsletters
Russian negotiators are traveling to Istanbul and will be ready Monday morning to continue peace talks with their Ukrainian counterparts, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced during a press briefing.
"Today I wanted to inform you that our delegation, the Russian delegation of negotiators, is departing for Istanbul," Peskov stated. "And they will be ready from Monday morning to continue negotiations, for the second round of negotiations."
No official statements have been received from Kiev regarding readiness to attend the negotiations, according to Russian sources.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously announced the second round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul scheduled for June 2.
The Russian foreign minister indicated that delegation head Vladimir Medinsky will deliver a Russian memorandum to Ukraine covering all aspects of overcoming the crisis's root causes.
Peskov emphasized the importance of direct delegation talks, stating: "It is necessary to achieve results from direct negotiations between the delegations of the two countries before such a meeting. If results are achieved, then of course we can talk about the highest level contacts."
According to a senior Ukrainian official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations to The New York Times, said "the memorandum included provisions for a cease-fire on land, at sea and in the air, with monitoring to be carried out by internationalpartners."
Peskov also expressed hope that the second round of Istanbul negotiations will address memorandums prepared by both Russia and Ukraine.
The previous round of negotiations took place on May 16 and concluded with agreements on prisoner exchanges using a "1,000 for 1,000" formula and presentations of each side's vision for possible future ceasefire arrangements.
Both sides expressed satisfaction with the meeting results, marking progress in the diplomatic process.
Addressing questions about European security consultations, Peskov noted that while discussions with Europeans are necessary, the Monday Istanbul meeting will focus directly on Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
"Right now everyone is focused on direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations. Work continues to develop a list of temporary ceasefire conditions," Peskov stated.
The Kremlin spokesperson indicated that Black Sea navigation security will be incorporated into future resolution frameworks.
"However, the security of navigation in the Black Sea will somehow become part of future solutions," Peskov said, highlighting the broader regional implications of the negotiations.
When asked about the possibility of a summit in Türkiye involving President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and US President Donald Trump, Peskov emphasized that delegation-level progress must come first.
"Such a meeting requires achieving results from direct negotiations between the delegations of the two countries. If results are achieved, then of course we can talk about the highest level contacts," the Kremlin spokesperson stated.
1 min read
3 min read
