Russia, Ukraine to meet in Istanbul for first time since 2022

ISTANBUL, May 15. /TASS/. Global media outlets are looking forward to the talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict that are expected to be held in Istanbul on Thursday at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiative. The meeting may mark the first direct contact between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine since March 2022, when negotiators from Moscow and Kiev engaged in dialogue at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace.

Once again, Russia’s delegation will be led by Kremlin Aide Vladimir Medinsky. Just like in 2022, the delegation will include Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. The Russian Foreign Ministry will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin who is in charge of issues related to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Three years ago, Russia’s delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko but now, he is responsible for another region at the ministry. Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, will be the fourth Russian negotiator.

Moscow will also send a team of experts to Istanbul, namely Alexander Zorin, first deputy chief information officer at the Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, Yelena Podobreyevskaya, deputy head of the Russian presidential office for state humanitarian policy, Alexey Polishchuk, director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second CIS Department, and Viktor Shevtsov, deputy chief of the Defense Ministry’s Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation.

US officials are also expected in Turkey. US President Donald Trump stated earlier that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials would travel to Turkey for the projected talks on Ukraine. A White House spokesperson told reporters that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg would go to Istanbul. Trump did not even rule out that he could travel to Istanbul himself if it benefited the negotiations.

Putin’s offer

Since the start of its special military operation, Moscow has repeatedly highlighted its readiness to resolve the Ukraine conflict diplomatically. In the early hours of May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin put forward an offer to resume direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15. He pointed out that it was Kiev that had terminated the negotiation process.

Putin’s offer provides for a resumption of talks without preconditions. The president also noted that Turkey had done a lot to organize negotiations between Moscow and Kiev.

Kiev’s response

In his first response to Russia’s offer, Vladimir Zelensky demanded that Moscow confirm "a full, lasting and reliable" ceasefire starting on May 12. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that the Kiev authorities must have not quite understood what the Russian leader said.

After US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to immediately accept Putin’s offer for talks, Zelensky said he was ready for a meeting in Istanbul. However, he reiterated the ceasefire demand and added that he would be waiting for Vladimir Putin in Turkey on Thursday.

Notably, the decision made by the Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council remains in effect, which renders talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin impossible. Zelensky enacted the decision on October 4, 2022. However, he said on May 13 that the ban did not apply to himself.

Too early to make forecasts

Little is known about the agenda of the projected talks, as is usually the case when it comes to such important diplomatic meetings. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov specified that the Istanbul meeting would address issues related to reaching a sustainable solution to the conflict, and the reality of the ground, including the territorial issue. "It is too early to make forecasts," the senior diplomat stressed, adding that much would depend on the position of Kiev’s Western sponsors. Earlier, European countries announced new sanctions on Russia and expressed objections to Moscow’s offer for talks. In particular, French President Emmanuel Macron described Russia’s initiative as insufficient and "unacceptable." When commenting on Europe’s demands for a 30-day ceasefire, Zakharova stressed that the goal was "to give Kiev a respite to restore its military potential in order to continue the confrontation with Russia."

Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large, believes that the document that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators approved in Istanbul back in 2022 could be one of the options for settling the conflict, provided that certain adjustments are made based on the developments of the past three years.