Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. Who will lead the Ukrainian delegation?

Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, Turkey, will be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

The President also heard reports from the Head of the Ministry of Defense, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the General Staff, Intelligence, and the Security Service of Ukraine.

The talks will take place on Monday, June 2. Kyiv will insist on a complete and unconditional ceasefire, the release of prisoners, and the return of abducted children. The Ukrainian side is also ready for a meeting at the highest level.

What preceded

On May 16, the first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia since 2022 were held in Istanbul. The meeting lasted a little over an hour. According to journalists, Russia demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from a number of territories to ensure a ceasefire and threatened to occupy the Kharkiv and Sumy regions.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported that at the meeting, the Ukrainian and Russian sides discussed a prisoner exchange in the "1000 for 1000" format and a ceasefire. The parties reached an agreement on the exchange — three prisoner exchanges in this format have already taken place.

On May 19, Trump spoke with Putin, as well as with Zelensky and a number of European leaders. Putin said after the conversation that he was ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine that includes a ceasefire. Trump says that Russia and Ukraine “will immediately begin negotiations on a ceasefire and, more importantly, an end to the war”.

• The WP newspaper wrote that the US may pressure Ukraine to participate in the talks on June 2, even if Moscow does not provide a memorandum with its conditions for achieving peace. This is what Kyiv is demanding.

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