Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul: All key details from round two

Key questions:

• Talks between Ukraine and Russia will take place in the second half of the day (expected to start at 1:00 p.m.)
• Both delegations have already arrived in Istanbul.
• The meeting will take place at the Çırağan Palace.
• Türkiye will serve as a mediator between Ukraine and Russia.

Here's what we know so far

6:30 PM Kyiv time

Medinsky disclosed details of the memorandum that was handed over to Ukraine.

According to him, the document consists of two parts. The first outlines Moscow’s position on how to achieve a "genuine long-term peace."

"The second part describes what steps need to be taken to enable a full ceasefire. Moreover, this section includes options — one way or another," he added.

6:00 PM

The head of the Russian delegation, aide to the Russian President, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that Russia had proposed to Ukraine the idea of a two- to three-day ceasefire.

He said that they had suggested a specific ceasefire for two to three days in certain areas of the front. According to Medinsky, the purpose of this short ceasefire — with the suspension of drone activity and other hostilities — was to allow commanders to recover the bodies of their fallen soldiers.

05-40 PM

The Russian delegation made its first statements after talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.

05-25 PM

At the upcoming exchange, Ukraine insists on the release of all prisoners and the return of deported children.

"In the release of prisoners of war, we agreed to focus on specific categories, not numbers," Umerov said.

Ukraine and Russia have now agreed on the exchange of all seriously wounded and ill prisoners of war.

"The second category is young soldiers aged 18 to 25. All for all. We also agreed on the return of the bodies of 6,000 for 6,000 dead soldiers," the minister said.

05-00 PM

Umerov gave his first comments following the talks. The parties discussed the prospects of a ceasefire.

"We agreed on exchanges, we will announce the details soon. We are focusing on the seriously wounded and sick. Focus on youth, as well as the exchange of bodies of the dead. We will give the details later," the Defense Minister said.

One of the topics was a possible meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

04-44 PM

The Ukrainian and Russian delegations agreed on a new prisoner exchange, says President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

"As for the Istanbul talks – I am currently waiting for a full report from Umerov, they exchanged views and we are preparing a new prisoner exchange," Zelenskyy said.

04-05 PM

Ukraine handed over to Russian representatives at Istanbul talks a list of Ukrainian children who must be returned, reports the head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak.

Yermak mentioned hundreds of children whom Russia has illegally deported, forcibly transferred, or is holding in temporarily occupied territories.

"The return of Ukrainian children is an integral part of a just and lasting peace and a key element of trust, the first test of sincerity of intent. We await a response. The ball is in Russia’s court. Genuine good faith is not words, but actions. And now is the time to prove it," Yermak wrote.

04-00 PM

RBC-Ukraine source says the talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul have ended, lasting a little over an hour.

02-50 PM

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan opened the negotiations. Fidan stated that he hopes this meeting will be effective.

"I believe this meeting will be as effective as possible, and we will achieve concrete goals on the path toward a ceasefire. US support for this process is very important, and the determination of the honorable Trump opens a new window of opportunity. The most important thing is to achieve lasting peace. In this way, issues of food and logistics can also be resolved," said the Turkish Foreign Minister.

Fidan also revealed the key topics of the second round of negotiations. According to the Turkish Minister, Ukraine and Russia will discuss the possibility of a meeting between their leaders.

"Today, at this meeting, we will assess the prospects and views of both sides regarding a ceasefire, and we will also discuss humanitarian initiatives and preparations for a possible meeting of the leaders," Fidan noted.

02-45 PM

Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by Türkiye, have begun, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reports.

02-40 PM

According to Ukrainian news agency Suspilne, citing a source in the Ukrainian delegation, the negotiations are delayed as the delegations are still preparing. The talks will begin once both sides are ready.

12-55 PM

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy doubts Russia's readiness for productive negotiations. He stated this after arriving at the Bucharest Nine Summit in Vilnius.

"Our team is in Istanbul. This morning I spoke with the Minister of Defense, they are preparing for the meeting. I'm not sure that Russia will be ready for productive meetings. But we must always believe in some kind of solution," Zelenskyy said.

12:50 PM

The delegations of Türkiye and Russia have already arrived at the Çırağan Palace in Istanbul, where the trilateral negotiations will take place.

The Ukrainian team has also arrived at the venue of the negotiations.

12:10 PM

Ukrainian negotiators in Istanbul met with representatives of Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. As Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi noted, First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhii Kyslytsia and member of the Ukrainian delegation Oleksandr Bevz were present at the meeting.

The parties agreed on their positions ahead of today's negotiations with Russia.

Photo: The Ukrainian delegation met with European representatives (x.com/spoxukrainemfa)

11:38 AM

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who heads the Ukrainian delegation, met with Ukraine's Ambassador to Türkiye Nariman Dzhelyal.

Initial details

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Heorhii Tykhyi, told reporters that on the morning of June 2, the Ukrainian delegation arrived in Istanbul. According to Tykhyi, the meeting is scheduled for the second half of the day.

The Russian delegation flew into Istanbul on the evening of June 1. At the time, the head of the Russian team Vladimir Medinsky declined to comment to journalists.

Instead, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin briefly addressed Russian media when asked if Ukraine's Security Service attacks on Russian airfields would affect the talks. His response: "The negotiations will proceed."

On the morning of June 2, Russian officials complained that Ukraine had submitted its peace memorandum in Ukrainian and English.

"It's fine, we managed. There are people in our delegation who speak multiple languages. Two of them are fluent in Japanese," Medinsky said.

According to Anadolu Agency, citing Türkiye's Foreign Ministry, the talks between Ukrainian and Russian representatives will start at 1:00 p.m. and will be held at Çırağan Palace.

Who to mediate

Türkiye, the host country, is expected to mediate the talks between Ukraine and Russia. At the previous round, the Turkish delegation also served as a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will chair the meeting and is scheduled to give opening remarks to the media. Representatives of Turkish intelligence will also be present.

During the first round, Türkiye proposed a prisoner exchange in the format of 1,000-for-1,000. This became the most significant outcome of those negotiations.

US participation is not expected today. Previously, The Atlantic reported that no American delegation would be present in Istanbul for the second round of Ukraine-Russia talks.

Who represents Ukraine

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the composition of the Ukrainian team. As before, it is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

The Ukrainian delegation also includes:

• Serhii Kyslytsia - First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
• Oleksandr Poklad - Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine;
• Oleh Luhovskyi - First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine;
• Oleksii Shevchenko - Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Vadym Skibitskyi - Deputy Chief of the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine;
• Yevhen Shynkariov - Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Oleksandr Diakov - Deputy Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Oleksandr Sherikhov - Senior Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Heorhii Kuzmychov - Protocol Officer of the Office for Support of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Oleksandr Bevz - Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Who represents Russia

During the previous talks, the composition of the Russian delegation raised questions. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent low-ranking officials, with the team led by his Aide and "historian" Vladimir Medinsky, who was also a participant in the 2022 Ukraine-Russia negotiations.

Medinsky again leads the Russian delegation today. Also representing Moscow in Istanbul are:

• Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia;
• Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces;
• Alexander Fomin, Deputy Defense Minister.

The Russian memorandum

Following the May 16 talks in Istanbul, Russia announced it would prepare a so-called memorandum outlining its vision of a ceasefire. Putin claimed the document would serve as a step toward a future peace agreement.

Russia refused to deliver it to Ukraine in advance, saying it would only be presented during the June 2 negotiations in Istanbul.

Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated on May 28 that Kyiv had already sent its proposals to Moscow. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha demanded that Russia share the memorandum before the meeting, arguing it would help Ukraine prepare.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Herhii Tykhyi suggested that Russia was unwilling to share the document early because it was filled with ultimatums.

In his evening address on June 1, President Zelenskyy stated that as of the night before the talks, Moscow had still not shared its proposal with any party - not Ukraine, not Türkiye, not the U.S.

Ukraine's proposals

As previously stated, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that a complete ceasefire remains the key issue for Ukraine.

"We continue to offer a full, unconditional ceasefire, along with all reasonable and dignified steps that can lead to a lasting and reliable peace. The Ukrainian proposal we've given the Russians is logical and realistic," Zelenskyy said on the eve of the talks.

According to Reuters, Ukraine will present a roadmap for conflict resolution today. Western media report that Kyiv's proposals will likely be similar to those presented at the May 16 meeting in Istanbul.

Reuters says Ukraine's main proposals include:

• A 30-day ceasefire;
• A prisoner exchange in the format of all for all;
• Return of Ukrainian children taken by Russia;
• And a direct meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin.

First round of talks

The first round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia took place on May 16 in Istanbul. It was the first direct dialogue between the two sides in three years.

The initiative for resuming direct talks came from Putin, who proposed unconditional talks in Istanbul following Ukraine's joint call, together with the Coalition of the Willing, for a 30-day ceasefire starting May 12.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed but said he wanted a face-to-face meeting with Putin. On May 15, Zelenskyy arrived in Türkiye, but the Russian leader refused to attend.