Peace talks with Russia in Istanbul without ceasefire: Kyiv's stance clarified
Andriy Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine (Photo: RBC-Ukraine, Vitalii Nosach)
Ukraine and its allies have a common approach: first, a ceasefire, and then negotiations, as Russia will try to use dialogue to mislead everyone, the Head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, stated in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Answering the question whether Ukraine would agree to negotiate with Russia without stopping hostilities if this approach finds support in the United States, Yermak said that Kyiv already knows well what such formats lead to.
"But there's another side to this: what would that format mean for the US and Europe, especially in terms of regional security?" he added.
According to Yermak, Russia will try to use the negotiation process as a cover to get out of sanctions, and in general, this format is driven by the desire to mislead everyone. The head of the Presidential Office emphasized that the question is whether Europe and the United States are ready to tolerate this. Definitely not.
"That's why our approach with partners is unified: ceasefire first, then negotiations. That's confirmed by all recent statements on both sides of the Atlantic," Yermak explained.
Upcoming talks between Russia and Ukraine
On the night of May 11, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin rejected the idea of a ceasefire and proposed to resume direct talks with Ukraine on May 15 in Istanbul.
In the morning, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy supported the proposal for dialogue but noted that Russia must first confirm the May 12 ceasefire proposed by Ukraine, the United States, and the "coalition of the resolute."
Later, Türkiye officially declared its readiness to help Ukraine and Russia on the path to a ceasefire and peace.
Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said that there must be a ceasefire before negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow can begin.
