Russian delegation head names possible timing for Ukraine talks in Istanbul
Photo: Vladimir Medinsky (krymr.com)
The head of the Russian delegation at the Istanbul negotiations, Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Vladimir Putin, said that a meeting with the Ukrainian negotiating team is expected on Friday morning, according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti.
According to the head of the Russian negotiating team, tomorrow, May 16, at 10:00 AM Kyiv time, Moscow's representatives will be waiting for the Kyiv delegation to arrive for the meeting. This statement was reported by RIA Novosti.
At that time, he said, the Russian delegation will be "waiting for the Ukrainian side, which is supposed to arrive for the meeting."
In a brief statement to the media in Türkiye, Medinsky emphasized that the Russian delegation arrived in Istanbul on May 15 to conduct "direct, bilateral negotiations with Ukraine without any preconditions."
The aide to Vladimir Putin also said that the Russian delegation has allegedly already held a "very productive meeting" with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
Moreover, Medinsky assured that the Russian delegation is "ready to work" in the negotiations with Ukraine.
Ukraine-Russia negotiations in Türkiye
On May 10, Ukraine, along with European leaders from the "Coalition of the Willing," called on Russia for a 30-day full ceasefire in the theater of the Russia-Ukraine war and warned of increased sanctions if refused. The United States joined the call.
In the night before May 11, Vladimir Putin effectively ignored this joint initiative from Ukraine, the EU, and the US regarding a truce, instead proposing to hold talks in Türkiye "without any conditions."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to this, along with US President Donald Trump, who did not rule out visiting Türkiye if the negotiations went well. Zelenskyy confirmed his readiness to personally meet Putin in Istanbul.
However, Putin did not come to the talks, sending a low-level delegation headed not by the foreign minister but by Putin’s aide Vladimir Medinsky, who also took part in negotiations in 2022.
In Türkiye on May 15, Zelenskyy sharply criticized the composition of the Russian delegation, calling it "a sham." Ukraine, meanwhile, emphasized the seriousness of its intentions by forming a delegation including representatives from the President’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the military, and the intelligence.
Late on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would not attend the talks with Russia in Istanbul.
On May 15, Medinsky revealed Moscow's position in the negotiations with Ukraine, which essentially boils down to a proposal for capitulation.
Additionally, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations might begin talks in Istanbul on the morning of May 16. Another source added that the Ukrainian side will decide the date and time of the next talks upon arrival in Istanbul.
