Putin approves Russia’s delegation for Ukraine talks: Who’s heading to Istanbul
Photo: Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the composition of Russia’s delegation for negotiations with Ukraine, which will take place tomorrow, May 15, in Istanbul, according to the Russian media and the Kremlin’s official website.
According to the published information, the Russian delegation will include:
- Vladimir Medinsky – Putin’s aide (head of the delegation)
- Mikhail Galuzin – Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia (delegation member)
- Igor Kostyukov – Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (delegation member)
- Alexander Fomin – Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia (delegation member)
Notably, Medinsky also headed the Russian delegation in 2022, and Fomin was part of that team as well.
In addition, for the 2025 negotiations, the head of the Kremlin approved the list of experts to join the delegation. It includes:
- Zorin Aleksandr – First Deputy Chief of the Information Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces
- Podobreevskaya Yevgeniya – Deputy Head of the Kremlin’s Department for State Policy in the Humanitarian Sphere
- Polishchuk Alexey – Director of the Second CIS Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry
- Shevtsov Viktor – Deputy Chief of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation at the Russian Ministry of Defense
Based on the list, it appears that Putin himself will not take part in the talks.
