Kellogg confirms US and EU advisors attending Istanbul negotiations

Specifically, Kellogg stated that the US has received a memorandum from Ukraine outlining proposals for a ceasefire. This document is the result of recent negotiations held in Paris and London. It includes 22 points, which he described as fairly reasonable.

At the same time, the special representative noted that Ukraine has yet to receive Russia’s memorandum with ceasefire proposals. He expressed concern that this lack of response could lead the Ukrainian delegation to pull out of the upcoming talks in Istanbul.

"I always caution him, don't say things like that, because if you don't show up, you know part of life is showing up," he said. "You need to show you’re serious. And the thing you were driving to is to get a ceasefire because that stops the killing."

Ukraine’s NATO membership is not on the table

Kellogg also called Russia’s concerns about NATO’s eastward expansion understandable. When asked whether Trump would be willing to promise Putin that the Alliance won’t expand further east, he said the US is currently not considering Ukraine’s accession to NATO.

“And we're not the only country that says that, you know, I can probably give you four of the countries in NATO. And it takes 32 of the 32 to allow you to come into NATO. And we've seen other countries say, "We're not too sure about that." And we're saying okay, comprehensively, you know, we can stop the expansion of NATO coming close to your borders. That's a security concern from them. But that's a presidential decision,” the special envoy stated.

Kellogg added that on June 2, just like before, national security advisors from the US, Germany, France, and the UK will be in Istanbul. They’re expected to hold separate meetings with both the Ukrainian and Russian delegations.

Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul

On May 16, the first round of peace negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations took place in Istanbul.

During the meeting, the Russian side demanded that Kyiv recognize Russia’s control over the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson regions, and Crimea; refrain from seeking war reparations from Russia; and guarantee the rights of Russian-speaking citizens in Ukraine according to European standards.

The Kremlin rejected the US proposal for a comprehensive 30-day ceasefire, calling it an attempt to bolster Ukraine’s armed forces through mobilization and the supply of weapons from Western partners.

Moscow has proposed holding the next round of peace talks in Istanbul on Monday, June 2, with the composition of the Russian delegation remaining unchanged.

In recent days, Kyiv submitted its proposals for a ceasefire to Moscow. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is working on a memorandum outlining a potential peace agreement, but has yet to deliver the draft to the Ukrainian side.

The White House has expressed hope that Ukraine’s delegation will attend the talks scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul.

At the same time, the UN has warned Russia that the US may withdraw from the peace process if the Kremlin abandons diplomatic efforts and chooses to prolong the war.

More details on Russia’s memorandum and the possible next round of negotiations — in the article by RBC-Ukraine.