Russia to announce next talks with Ukraine soon
Russia will announce the date of the next direct talks with Ukraine in the near future, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting of senior security officials on Monday. He did not, however, provide an exact timeline for the announcement or a possible location for the meeting.
The previous round of negotiations held in Istanbul, Türkiye on May 16 marked the first time Moscow and Kiev had engaged in direct dialogue since the collapse of the talks in 2022. The two sides agreed to a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner exchange – which was completed on Sunday – and to come up with a memorandum outlining a road map toward ending the conflict. Lavrov has since stated that work on the document is at an 'advanced stage.'
Russia has said it views the negotiations as a platform to achieve a lasting peace based on addressing the root causes of the conflict.
No details have emerged about the next meeting since then. The Vatican has offered to host the talks, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has reiterated Ankara's readiness to facilitate another round. Russia has not accepted either proposal.
On Monday, Lavrov said the details of the next round would be announced 'in the very near future.'
Lavrov also noted that during the first round, Russia demanded that Ukraine repeal discriminatory laws against Russian speakers, and that it will continue to do so.
Moscow has accused the Ukrainian authorities of suppressing the rights of Russian-speaking citizens, particularly through language laws that limit the use of Russian in virtually all spheres of life.
Lavrov said last week that it would be a 'major crime' to leave millions of Russian speakers in Ukraine living under Vladimir Zelensky's 'junta' and its legal framework after the end of the conflict.
He went on to say that Moscow will continue to insist on permanent neutrality for Ukraine and non-nuclear status, adding that Ukraine's 1991 Declaration of Independence included a pledge to remain neutral, which made it possible to recognize its sovereignty.
Lavrov noted that Ukraine has since amended its constitution to commit to NATO membership, which Russia has cited as one of the primary triggers of the conflict. 'Returning to that solemn promise… is one of Russia's key demands that must be fulfilled as part of any settlement.'
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