Technical negotiations between Ukraine and Russia may take place in Vatican next week - Stubb
Photo: President of Finland Alexander Stubb (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
New technical talks between Ukraine and Russia may take place at the Vatican next week, states Finnish President Alexander Stubb, according to Yle.
The President of Finland noted that the United States has not stepped back from its role as a mediator in resolving Russia’s military actions against Ukraine.
"There are now more mediators: previously, only the US played that role, but now Europe is also involved," Stubb remarked.
In his view, the situation is developing positively, as Europe hopes to take part in discussions on a ceasefire in Ukraine and the possibility of peace.
New round of talks
According to Stubb, technical-level negotiations will likely continue at the Vatican next week.
Ukraine–Russia talks in Istanbul
A meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to take place on May 15. However, despite the agreement, the latter, unlike Zelenskyy, never arrived in Türkiye.
Upon his arrival in Türkiye, Zelenskyy described the Russian delegation sent by Putin as "sham," since it consisted of individuals who lacked the authority to make independent decisions regarding the resolution of the war in Ukraine.
In contrast, Ukraine was represented at the highest level in the talks in Türkiye, with members of the Presidential Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the military, and intelligence services joining the delegation.
The following day, a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations did take place in Istanbul, without the heads of state. Even at this level, the meeting marked the first contact between the two countries in three years.
More details about the negotiations can be found in the RBC-Ukraine report.
