Putin's plan fails - Ukrainian Foreign Minister sums up negotiations in Istanbul
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha evaluates the results of the negotiations in Istanbul (photo: facebook.com/andrij.sybiha)
During the negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Türkiye, efforts by the Kremlin to portray the meeting as a continuation of the Istanbul talks from three years ago were successfully neutralized. Moscow’s plan in this regard failed, according to the Facebook page of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andriy Sybiha.
In his social media post, the Ukrainian official shared his own assessment and outlined the outcomes of the meeting between the parties in Istanbul on May 16.
According to Sybiha, if one sets aside all the Russian nonsense, pseudo-historical statements, provocations, and the like, the following are the results in a nutshell:
- An agreement was reached to return one thousand Ukrainians as part of a prisoner exchange with the Russian side in a 1000 for 1000 format.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that even just for this alone, it was all worth it.
- As for the ceasefire, to which Moscow did not agree: the Russian delegation present at the talks lacked sufficient authority.
“And that is unfortunate - that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin sent people of such a low level. But we will continue to insist on an unconditional, lasting, and complete ceasefire. This is the foundation for the success of any further decisions and steps,” Sybiha said.
- Continued pressure on Russia and efforts to prepare a meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.
“In this context - a meeting of the leaders - we will keep working, keep up the pressure, because in Russia, only Putin makes the decisions. He must stop avoiding our President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and find the courage for a direct meeting,” the Foreign Minister stated.
- Confirmation of Ukraine’s steps toward peace, not Russia’s.
According to Sybiha, on the day of the negotiations, May 16, the Ukrainian side proved that it seeks peace and is serious about working to restore it.
“For Russia to begin taking real steps toward peace, pressure must continue and intensify. The strength of this pressure is inversely proportional to the Russians’ willingness to be constructive,” the minister said.
- The results of the Istanbul meeting as evidence of the need to increase sanctions.
As the Foreign Minister emphasized, the Ukrainian side will continue to convince our partners of this.
“The meeting in Istanbul cannot and will not serve as an excuse not to increase pressure on Russia. On the contrary, it is proof of why such pressure is necessary,” Sybiha said.
- Collapse of Putin’s plan to revive the 2022 negotiation scenario in Türkiye.
The Foreign Minister stressed that the Russian dictator’s plan to present the Istanbul meeting as a continuation of March 2022 has failed.
"Because this is already a completely new dynamic, a new starting point. The conditions and realities are different now. And the key factor is the United States and the peace efforts of President Donald Trump," Sybiha said.
Summary – key issues
In summary, the Foreign Minister emphasized that Ukraine will continue to stay its course and achieve its goals.
“Bringing our people home, securing silence, safety, and peace - that is the key priority. And the strengthening of Ukraine and our defense capabilities is ongoing and will continue. That’s what matters most,” the Ukrainian minister stated.
He also added that all of Ukraine’s partners have clearly said that President Zelenskyy has taken very correct and well-considered steps in recent weeks in order to advance Ukraine’s interests.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha evaluates the results of the negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 (photo: facebook.com/andrij.sybiha)
Meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul
On May 16, Ukraine and Russia held negotiations in Istanbul, which ultimately did not lead to a ceasefire between the parties (something Kyiv and European and American partners are striving for, but Moscow still does not agree to), but an agreement was reached on a prisoner exchange in the format of 1000 for 1000.
Representatives of the Ukrainian delegation confirmed that Russia again made unacceptable demands during the talks in Türkiye. According to Western media reports, during the meeting, the Russian side demanded the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from four regions of Ukraine in exchange for a truce. Later, the publication Clash Report revealed five maximalist demands from the Kremlin, which were presented to the Ukrainian side by the head of the Moscow delegation, Vladimir Medinsky.
Additionally, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also confirmed that during the negotiations, the Russian delegation made a number of unacceptable demands that do not correspond to Ukraine’s interests.
Why the negotiations in Istanbul did not bring the war closer to an end - read in a separate article by RBC-Ukraine.
