Latest news with #RussiaUkraineTalks
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lithuania does not expect significant results from Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys believes that the second round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine will be unlikely to result in significant achievements. Source: European Pravda; LRT, a Lithuanian public broadcaster "It depends on the intentions and mood of the Russian delegation [at the talks - ed.]. If they are the same as last time, we know how it all ended. There was no real desire to negotiate and therefore no significant results related to the ceasefire. This will likely also be the case this time," the Lithuanian foreign minister said on Friday during a visit to Madrid. Budrys said striving for a ceasefire to be implemented "unconditionally and immediately" is necessary. "Only alongside the ceasefire can normal, full-fledged negotiations on ending the aggression take place. Both the United States and Europe must participate in such negotiations. There must be some results. (...) What we see now is just an imitation. Will Monday show that it is not an imitation? Most likely not, and that is why Ukrainians need even more support," Budrys said. Background: Russia declared that it wants another round of Istanbul talks with Ukraine on Monday 2 June, where its delegation will present a "memorandum" outlining Russia's proposals regarding a ceasefire and an end to the war. Meanwhile, officials in Kyiv stated that to reach any outcomes during the talks, they must first read over the Russian "memorandum". Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Türkiye Hopes to Host Leaders of US, Russia, Ukraine after Potential Next Round Peace Talks
Türkiye hopes that Russia and Ukraine will largely finish work on technical issues at their next potential talks aimed at ending the war, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Friday. He added that Ankara wanted to host a leaders' summit afterwards with the Turkish and US presidents also present. Speaking at a press conference in Kyiv, to where he travelled after talks in Moscow earlier this week, Fidan said the May 16 talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul - the first direct contact between them in three years - marked a new start, adding he believed further meetings were possible.
Russia Today
4 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
Lavrov briefs Rubio on Ukraine negotiations
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov discussed the Ukraine peace negotiations during a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov briefed Rubio on 'concrete proposals for the next round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.' 'Both sides affirmed their intent to maintain constructive and respectful dialogue,' the ministry said in a statement on its website. US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said that Rubio 'welcomed Russia and Ukraine's exchange of '1,000-for-1,000' prisoners over the weekend.' 'The secretary reiterated President Trump's calls for constructive, good-faith dialogue with Ukraine as the only path to ending this war,' Bruce added. The conversation took place as US President Donald Trump intensified his rhetoric toward Russia, accusing President Vladimir Putin of 'playing with fire.' He stopped short, however, of imposing new sanctions – something he suggested could still happen if peace talks stall. 'We're going to find out whether or not [Putin is] tapping us along, and if he is, we'll respond a little differently,' Trump said on Wednesday. Russia and Ukraine held their first direct negotiations in three years on May 16 in Istanbul, agreeing to carry out a major prisoner swap and to each draft a memorandum outlining their terms for a potential ceasefire. The exchange was conducted in several phases and concluded last week. While Kiev has said it shared its memorandum with both Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin stated on Wednesday that it is 'finalizing' its version of the document. Lavrov proposed holding the next round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. Russia's lead negotiator, Vladimir Medinsky, has rejected Ukraine's claims that Moscow is stalling the process. Ukraine has backed Trump's proposal for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire. However, Russia has stated that, for a full ceasefire to be achieved, Ukraine must halt mobilization, stop receiving foreign weapons, and withdraw its forces from Russian territory. Moscow also insists that Kiev must abandon its plans to join NATO and formally recognize Crimea and four other regions as part of Russia. The Kremlin has described NATO's expansion as one of the 'root causes' of the conflict – an issue it says must be addressed in the ongoing talks.
Reuters
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
European, US leaders welcome Pope offer to host Russia-Ukraine talks, Italy's Meloni says
ROME, May 19 (Reuters) - European and U.S. leaders have welcomed Pope Leo XIV's readiness to host Russia-Ukraine talks at the Vatican, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Monday. Meloni's office said European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump after he had a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Work is underway to immediately start negotiations between the parties that can lead to a ceasefire as soon as possible and build the conditions for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine," Meloni's office said in a statement. "In this regard, the Holy Father's willingness to host the talks at the Vatican was considered positive. Italy is ready to do its part to facilitate contacts and work for peace," the statement added.
Al Jazeera
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
EU, UK leaders to speak with Trump before his Putin call as Ukraine hit
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said he and the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Poland aim to speak with Donald Trump in advance of the United States president's planned call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Monday, in a flurry of diplomacy after inconclusive direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul. In remarks to reporters on Sunday, Merz said he discussed the issue with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio while the two men were attending the inaugural mass of Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican. Merz said he also spoke at length at the Vatican with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 'I spoke with Marco Rubio, including about the call tomorrow. We agreed that we will speak again with the four state leaders and the US president in preparation of this conversation [with Putin],' Merz said. Trump said he planned to speak to Putin and Zelenskyy to discuss ways to stop the war's 'bloodbath'. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed to Russian news agencies that preparations were under way for a conversation between Putin and Trump. The talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Friday were the first time the sides had held face-to-face talks since March 2022, weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion of its neighbour. The brief talks yielded only an agreement to swap 1,000 prisoners of war, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such exchange since the war began. A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks said Russian negotiators demanded Ukraine pull its troops out of all Ukrainian regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire. That is a red line for Ukraine, and as it stands, Russia does not have full control in those regions. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy met US Vice President JD Vance and Rubio on the sidelines of the papal inauguration, according to a source in the Ukrainian delegation. It was the first meeting between Zelenskyy and Vance since they publicly clashed during talks at the White House in February over the future of the war in Ukraine. In the meantime, Ukraine has claimed Russia is planning to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile late on Sunday to intimidate it and its Western allies. Ukraine's military intelligence agency, GUR, said Russia was planning to conduct a 'training and combat' launch of the missile. GUR said in a statement on the Telegram app that the launch was ordered to be implemented from Russia's Sverdlovsk region, adding that the flight range for the missile was more than 10,000km (6,200 miles). Ukraine on Sunday also said Russia had launched a record number of drones overnight, targeting various regions, including that of the capital, where a woman was killed. Its air force said Russia launched '273 Shahed attack drones and various types of imitator drones', of which 88 were destroyed and 128 went astray, 'without negative consequences'. Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said it was a 'record' number of drones. 'Russia has a clear goal – to continue killing civilians,' she said. Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from Kyiv, said overnight, 'air raid sirens began, and they went on for nearly nine hours'. 'We see these massive drone strikes and we see crowds of people seeking shelter, seeking safety, in those deep underground subway stations in the capital and in other areas of the country, once again,' Basravi said. The Russian military said it intercepted 25 Ukrainian drones overnight and on Sunday morning. It also claimed it had captured Bahatyr, another village in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region, as it intensifies the war effort despite the talks. Russia's overnight drone attacks were roundly condemned by Ukrainian officials. Zelenskyy reiterated his call for stronger sanctions on Moscow after a Russian drone killed nine bus passengers in the Sumy region of northeastern Ukraine on Saturday. 'This was a deliberate killing of civilians,' he said. 'Pressure must be exerted on Russia to stop the killings. Without tougher sanctions, without stronger pressure, Russia will not seek real diplomacy.' Russia, which denies targeting civilians, said it struck a military target in Sumy. Its Ministry of Defence claimed another settlement was captured in eastern Ukraine. Zelenskyy's top aide, Andriy Yermak, also decried the attacks. 'For Russia, the negotiations in Istanbul are just a pretence. Putin wants war,' Yermak said. In an interview with Russian state TV, Putin said Moscow's aim was to 'eliminate the causes that triggered this crisis, create the conditions for a lasting peace and guarantee Russia's security', without elaborating further. Russia's references to the 'root causes' of the conflict typically refer to alleged grievances with Kyiv and the West that Moscow has put forward as justification for launching the invasion in February 2022. They include pledges to 'de-Nazify' and demilitarise Ukraine, protect Russian speakers in the country's east, push back against NATO expansion and stop Ukraine's westward geopolitical drift. Ukraine and the West have rejected all of them, saying Russia's offensive is nothing more than an imperial-style land grab. Tens of thousands have been killed since Russia started the war, with millions forced to flee their homes. Putin said the Russian army, which occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine, had the 'troops and means required' to achieve its goals. The US Department of State said in a statement that Rubio and his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, spoke with each other on Saturday. During the call, Rubio welcomed the prisoner exchange agreement reached in Istanbul, the department's spokesperson said. Ukraine's top negotiator, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, said the 'next step' would be a meeting between the two warring presidents. Russia said it had taken note of the request, but added the swap of POWs had to be completed first, and both sides then needed to present their visions for a ceasefire before the next round of negotiations could be arranged.
