US hopes Ukraine heads to peace talks with Russia in Istanbul
Photo: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (Getty Images)
The United States hopes that the Ukrainian delegation will proceed to the second round of negotiations with Russia, stated White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt during a briefing for journalists.
"It is our hope that Russia and Ukraine will engage in direct talks and negotiations next week in Istanbul, and we believe that meeting is going to take place, and that is a meeting the President encouraged and urged for these two sides to come together and negotiate directly," she said.
She recalled that Trump had made it clear from the beginning that he wanted "to see this conflict solved on the negotiating table, not on the battlefield."
" And he's told that to both leaders, both publicly and privately. So, hopefully, next week, we'll move the ball forward. We will let you know if the President plans to send a representative," Karoline Leavitt added.
Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine
On May 16, the first meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in several years took place in Türkiye. At the meeting, the parties discussed possible ways to end the war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Türkiye to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, but Putin ignored the call for a personal meeting.
The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and the Russian delegation was led by Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky.
Yesterday, Russia proposed to Ukraine to hold a second round of negotiations on a ceasefire on Monday, June 2, in Istanbul. The Russian side also stated that it would not change the composition of its delegation during the second round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia is doing everything it can to prolong the war and disrupt the negotiations.
