Zelenskyy approves delegation for negotiations with Russia in Istanbul: List published

The Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), Rustem Umerov, will head the delegation.

Also included in the negotiation group are:

• Bevz Oleksandr Oleksandrovych – advisor to the head of the Office of the President (OP);

• Dyakov Oleksandr Ivanovych – deputy chief of staff of the Naval Forces (Navy) Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU);

• Kyslytsia Serhii Olehovych – first deputy minister of foreign affairs of Ukraine;

• Kovbasa Yurii Mykhailovych – representative of the Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada for Human Rights in the system of security and defense sector bodies;

• Kuzmychov Heorhii Yuriiovych – protocol officer of the Office for Support of the Commander-in-Chief of the AFU’s official activities;

• Luhovskyi Oleh Vasylovych – first deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS);

• Ostrianskyi Yevhenii Viktorovych – deputy chief of the General Staff of the AFU;

• Poklad Oleksandr Valentynovych – deputy head of the Security Service of Ukraine;

• Skibitskyi Vadym Vasylovych – deputy head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense;

• Fomin Andrii Anatoliiovych – head of the department of international law – deputy head of the department of international and operational law of the Central Legal Directorate of the General Staff;

• Shevchenko Oleksii Mykolaiovych – deputy chief of the General Staff of the AFU;

• Sherikhov Oleksandr Ihorovych – senior officer of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the AFU;

• Shynkarov Yevhen Mykhailovych – deputy chief of staff of the Air Force Command of the AFU.

Negotiations between Ukraine and Russia

After Donald Trump took office in the White House for the second time, the United States of America became more active in the matter of a diplomatic settlement of the full-scale war in Ukraine. Washington held a series of separate meetings with representatives of Kyiv and Moscow during which the issue of the unconditional establishment of a ceasefire was raised, which the Kremlin immediately rejected.

Despite this, Russia and Ukraine continued dialogue between themselves. In total, two rounds of negotiations have already been held. On May 16, the parties agreed on a large-scale prisoner exchange in the format "1000 for 1000", which ultimately took place in three stages from May 23 to May 25.

More details on what to expect from the third round of negotiations – in a commentary to RBC-Ukraine told political scientist and international affairs expert Maksym Nesvitailov.