Italian PM on Istanbul talks: We saw who is ready for peace and who is not
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (Getty Images)
The negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul showed who is ready to take meaningful steps toward peace — and who is not, said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, according to ANSA.
Meloni emphasized the need to demand an immediate ceasefire as a step toward a peace agreement that would provide security guarantees for Kyiv.
"Over the last few hours we have seen who is ready to make important steps for peace and who, on the other hand, is less willing," the Italian Prime Minister said.
Ukraine-Russia talks
On May 16, Ukrainian and Russian delegations held negotiations in Istanbul. This marked the first direct contact between the two countries in three years of full-scale war.
According to media reports, the meeting lasted just over an hour and did not result in significant progress toward achieving peace.
Later, it was revealed that the two sides had agreed to conduct a 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange.
The possibility of a direct meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin was also raised during the talks.
More details on the negotiations in Istanbul can be found in the report by RBC-Ukraine.
