President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has approved the composition of the Ukrainian delegation to participate in the peace talks in Istanbul.
This is stated in Presidential Decree No. 306/2025.
Here is who was part of the delegation:
- Rustem Umerov — the head of the delegation is the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov;
- Serhii Kyslytsia — First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Poklad — Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine;
- Oleh Luhovsky — First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine;
- Oleksiy Shevchenko — Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Vadym Skibitsky — Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
- Yevhen Shynkarev — Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Dyakov — Deputy Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Oleksiy Malovatsky — Head of the Department of International and Operational Law of the Central Legal Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Sherikhov — Senior Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Heorhii Kuzmychov — Protocol Officer of the Office of the Chief of Staff of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
- Oleksandr Bevz — an advisor to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded Vladimir Putinʼs participation in the negotiations and stated that he was ready to talk to him personally. The Kremlin initially did not confirm Putinʼs participation, but on the evening of May 14, the composition of the delegation was announced, in which he was not present. The negotiations in Istanbul will most likely take place on May 16 at the delegation level.
"Our team will be in Istanbul later this evening, and then they will decide," commented Presidential Communications Advisor Dmytro Lytvyn.
Russia says there will be no talks on May 15 "due to logistics".
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