Will Russia meet with Ukraine? A new negotiation format being prepared in Istanbul
Photo: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (Getty Images)
In Istanbul, preparations are underway for talks between the US, Ukraine, Russia, and Türkiye. Currently, trilateral meetings are expected, but a format involving all four parties is not ruled out, Reuters informs.
An anonymous source at the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the outlet that tomorrow, May 16, a series of meetings in various formats is scheduled to take place in Istanbul.
"Tripartite meetings between the US-Ukraine-Turkey and Russia-Ukraine-Turkiye are on the agenda," the source said.
However, according to the source, "It is not yet certain whether there will be a four-party format" involving the US, Russia, Ukraine, and Turkiye.
Negotiations in Türkiye
On the night of May 11, the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, rejected the joint initiative of Ukraine, the EU, and the US for a temporary 30-day ceasefire, instead proposing to hold negotiations with Ukraine in Türkiye.
This initiative was accepted both in Kyiv and in the West, including by US President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed his readiness to meet with Putin personally in Istanbul.
However, as expected, the Kremlin leader did not attend the talks in person, limiting the delegation to a low-level group. It was headed not even by the foreign minister, but by Putin’s aide, Vladimir Medinsky, who participated in negotiations in 2022.
Upon arriving in Türkiye, Zelenskyy sharply criticized the composition of the Russian delegation, calling it "a sham." Meanwhile, Ukraine itself emphasized the seriousness of its intentions by forming a delegation consisting of representatives from the President’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the military, and intelligence.
Earlier today, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed skepticism about the results of the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. He noted that only a personal meeting between the presidents of the US and Russia could allegedly move the process forward from its deadlock.
