Ukraine slams Russia's demand to exclude US from talks as obstruction of peace efforts
Photo: Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Ukraine accuses Russia of obstructing peace efforts by demanding negotiations without the United States. This move suggests that Moscow is stalling for time, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told RBC-Ukraine.
"We consider the Russian demand for the Americans not to be present as an obstruction of peace efforts. Ukraine has not made any last-minute demands – only Russia has. If there's nothing to hide, then what's the problem with having the Americans present?" the source told RBC-Ukraine.
The Russian demand "can only indicate that the Russians did not come to work constructively but simply to stall for time and want to hide that from the Americans," the source added.
Ukraine-Russia talks
On Friday, May 16, the first direct negotiations in three years between Ukraine and Russia began in Istanbul. The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation - by Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky.
The participation of low-level officials from the Russian side has drawn criticism in Ukraine and Europe. It was perceived as a signal of the Kremlin's unwillingness to engage in real negotiations.
According to Russian media, Moscow opposes the presence of the United States at the talks. Meanwhile, RBC-Ukraine sources confirm that the meeting will likely take place in a bilateral format, only between Kyiv and Moscow.
Before that, Ukraine had a meeting with representatives of the United States, Türkiye, as well as security advisers from the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
More details on the course of the negotiations - in the RBC-Ukraine coverage.
