Russia proposes date for next talks with Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has proposed holding the next round of negotiations with Ukraine next Monday, June 2, in Istanbul. Kiev is reportedly discussing the offer.
Representatives of the two sides met in the same city on May 16, for the first time since 2022.
In a statement on Wednesday, Lavrov said that the Russian delegation has since prepared a memorandum outlining its terms for achieving a lasting resolution to the conflict.
'Our delegation headed by [Russia's top negotiator Vladimir] Medinsky is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide necessary clarifications during a second round of resumed direct negotiations in Istanbul next Monday, June 2,' the minister detailed.
Lavrov expressed hope that 'all those who are sincerely interested in the success of the peace process, and not merely paying lip service to it, will support the new round of Istanbul direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations.'
The foreign minister thanked Türkiye, the US and Saudi Arabia for facilitating the dialogue between Moscow and Kiev. He added that as a result of the talks earlier this month, the two sides conducted the largest prisoner swap to date, with Russia and Ukraine each releasing 1,000 individuals.
Earlier on Wednesday, Medinsky, who is also a Russian presidential aide, revealed that he had phoned the head of the Ukrainian negotiating team, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and offered a concrete date for the next meeting, where the two delegations are expected to exchange their respective memorandums.
'The Ukrainians adjourned to discuss [the offer],' the Russian official said, conjecturing that the 'discussions are apparently still continuing.'
'We are waiting for their confirmation as soon as possible and are ready to meet them in person and start working on the date specified – in the coming days,' Medinsky added, as quoted by the Russian media.
Medinsky also refuted reports by multiple Western media outlets that it was Umerov who had called him regarding the memorandum. The publications in questions suggested that Moscow was dragging its feet and had not prepared the memorandum yet.
Russia has consistently made it clear that it views the ongoing negotiations as a way to achieve a lasting peace that would address the root causes of the conflict. On Monday, Lavrov stated that Moscow continues to insist on permanent neutrality for Ukraine and non-nuclear status, meaning that it will not be able to join NATO.
Initially, Kiev and its European supporters had demanded that any peace talks with Moscow be preceded by an unconditional 30-day cessation of hostilities. The Kremlin rejected such a scenario, arguing that it would be used by Ukraine to regroup its forces. Kiev revised its stance following pressure from the US and agreed to direct negotiations with Moscow.
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