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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Istanbul on Friday to participate in the first direct Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in three years, hosted by Türkiye, according to U.S. officials.
Rubio landed early Friday morning at Istanbul Airport, where he was received by Istanbul Consul General Julie A. Eadeh and other officials at 9:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. GMT), as the diplomatic community watches closely for any signs of progress in ending the prolonged conflict.
Rubio headed directly to Istanbul's historic Dolmabahce Palace to meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga, with Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, also joining the discussions.
The diplomatic agenda includes a series of carefully orchestrated meetings in various formats. A Türkiye-US-Ukraine trilateral meeting was scheduled for 10:45 a.m. (7:45 a.m. GMT), followed by a Türkiye-Russia-Ukraine trilateral meeting at 12:30 p.m. (9:30 a.m. GMT) at the Presidential Dolmabahce Office.
While the U.S. secretary of state will not participate directly in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations, the State Department's head of policy planning, Michael Anton, was set to hold a parallel meeting with the Russian delegation at Dolmabahce, according to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.
Ahead of the talks, Rubio had downplayed expectations, stating "we don't have high expectations" but nonetheless made the journey to demonstrate American support for the peace initiative.
The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and includes Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, Security Service deputy head Oleksandr Poklad, and Foreign Intelligence Service deputy head Oleh Luhovskyi, among others. President Zelensky reportedly sent a pared-down team after Russia arrived with a relatively low-level delegation.
The Russian side is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor to President Vladimir Putin who has previously questioned Ukraine's right to exist and led failed talks at the start of the war. The delegation also includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) Director Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Fomin.
These negotiations mark the first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years, raising cautious hope for potential diplomatic progress despite the measured expectations from all parties involved.
Fidan is playing a central role in facilitating the discussions, as Türkiye continues its efforts to position itself as a key mediator in the conflict that has destabilized Eastern Europe and affected global security since 2022.
The talks are taking place at the Dolmabahce Palace, a significant diplomatic venue on the shores of the Bosphorus that has hosted numerous historic meetings throughout Türkiye's history.
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