Aides, diplomats and spies: Who are Russia and Ukraine sending to Istanbul?
Russia's presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky attends the exhibition of Orthodox icons by Hiroko Kozuki, painter and wife of Former Japanese Ambassador to Russia Toyohisa Kozuki, in Moscow, Russia April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo
Aides, diplomats and spies: Who are Russia and Ukraine sending to Istanbul?
ISTANBUL - Who are Russia and Ukraine sending to the first direct diplomatic talks between the two warring countries since the spring of 2022?
Just over an hour before Moscow's midnight on May 14, the Kremlin published the names of those who would attend talks proposed last week by President Vladimir Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the failure of his Russian counterpart to meet him face-to-face showed Moscow did not want peace, but he nevertheless authorised a delegation to go to Istanbul, whose names were published on Thursday evening.
Russia's delegation
* Vladimir Medinsky, Kremlin aide. To head the delegation.
Born in Soviet Ukraine, Medinsky helped lead the 2022 peace talks which ultimately failed.
Educated at Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Medinsky was behind a new history textbook for schools which reflects Putin's historical view: pride at the achievements of the superpower Soviet Union, indignation at the humiliations of the Soviet collapse, and acclaim for the "rebirth" of Russia under the former KGB spy's rule which began on the last day of 1999.
He is chairman of the ultra-patriotic Russian Military Historical Society.
* Mikhail Galuzin, deputy foreign minister
Oversees relations with the Commonwealth of Independent States, a grouping of former Soviet republics.
Educated at Moscow State University's Institute of Asian and African Studies. Speaks fluent Japanese and English.
* Igor Kostyukov, director of Russian military intelligence, known as GRU, or more recently as simply GU. The GRU is one of the most powerful intelligence agencies in the world.
Kostyukov was the first naval officer to head GRU.
* Alexander Fomin, deputy defence minister. Took part in the 2022 talks on Ukraine.
Additionally, Putin approved a list of experts for the negotiations.
* Alexander Zorin, first deputy chief of information of the directorate of the General Staff. Born in Soviet Ukraine. Helped lead Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war. Known for seeking to reconcile sides.
* Yelena Podobreyevskaya, deputy head of the Kremlin directorate for humanitarian policy.
* Alexei Polishchuk, director of the foreign ministry's CIS department dealing with Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova.
* V. Shevtsov, deputy head of the main directorate for international military cooperation at the defence ministry.
Ukraine's delegation
* Rustem Umerov, defence minister
Made head of the delegation by Zelenskiy. Umerov, who is from the Crimean Tatar minority indigenous to the Russian-occupied peninsula, was part of the delegation in the failed 2022 talks.
* Serhiy Kyslytsia, first deputy minister of foreign affairs
Former ambassador to the United Nations
* Oleksandr Poklad, deputy head of the SBU domestic intelligence service
* Oleh Luhovskyi, deputy head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service
* Oleksiy Shevchenko, deputy head of the general staff of the armed forces
* Vadym Skibitskyi, deputy head of military intelligence
* Yevhen Shynkarov – deputy chief of staff of the air force command
* Oleksandr Diakov – deputy chief of staff of the naval command
* Oleksii Malovatskyi – military legal officer
* Oleksandr Sherikhov – military officer
* Heorhii Kuzmychov – military protocol officer
* Oleksandr Bevz – presidential aide REUTERS
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