Ukrainian Defense Minister reveals whether Zelenskyy-Putin meeting was discussed in Istanbul
Photo: Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
During the May 16 meeting in Istanbul, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed a potential meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said.
"The meeting between Zelenskyy and Putin was also discussed - we’re working on it," Umerov said.
He also noted that updates on possible new negotiations would be announced soon.
Ukraine-Russia talks in Istanbul
Today, May 16, Ukrainian and Russian delegations held talks in Istanbul. This was the first contact between the countries in three years of full-scale war.
Initially, a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin was scheduled to take place in Istanbul on May 15. However, Putin did not come.
Earlier, Zelenskyy emphasized that during the talks, Ukraine aims to achieve a ceasefire with Russia for at least 30 days. This is necessary to continue discussing all other peace issues.
According to media reports, the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations lasted just over an hour. They did not make any significant progress in achieving peace.
Read more about how the talks in Istanbul went in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
