The first direct talks between Moscow and Kiev in over three years have reportedly concluded at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul.
The peace talks were initially planned to take place on Thursday, however Vladimir Zelensky only named a Ukrainian delegation that evening, having spoken with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.
Kiev’s representatives eventually arrived in Istanbul on Thursday night and talks were rescheduled for Friday.
The Russian delegation was led by presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky, who headed Moscow’s negotiating team at the failed 2022 Istanbul talks. The Ukrainian delegation was headed by Kiev’s defense minister, Rustem Umerov.
The talks follow a surprise invitation last Sunday from Russian President Vladimir Putin for unconditional talks on resolving the long-term root causes of the Ukraine conflict.
Zelensky, who had previously ruled out any talks with Moscow, only agreed to attend following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of his support for the talks, and his claim that Kiev should accept it “immediately.”
Putin’s spokesman announced on Thursday that the Russian president would not attend the talks, prompting the Ukrainian delegation to complain about the status of the Russian team.
Kiev unilaterally withdrew from the 2022 Istanbul talks. President Putin later blamed Western interference and, in particular, then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had reportedly urged Kiev to “just continue fighting,” for derailing the peace process.
Russia, which had withdrawn its forces from the outskirts of Kiev as a goodwill gesture, later accused Ukraine of backtracking, saying it had lost trust in Ukraine’s negotiators.
Kiev’s repeated demands for a ceasefire before any peace talks have taken place are excessive, Vladimir Medinsky, Russia’s top negotiator at the Istanbul talks, believes.
Speaking to Rossiya 1, Medinsky, a professional historian, maintained that peace negotiations were usually conducted as the warring parties were still fighting. “A war and talks are being conducted simultaneously,” he said, adding that only “people who know nothing about history” could claim that a ceasefire has always preceded peace talks.
- 16:00 GMT
Kiev will start preparing a POW list for the upcoming exchange on Friday, Vadim Skibitsky, the deputy head of the Ukrainian military intelligence and a member of the nation’s delegation at the Istanbul talks has told journalists.
14:48 GMT
Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has said he has spoken to US President Donald Trump as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk following the Istanbul talks.
Kiev is ready to take the “fastest possible” track to peace, Zelensky claimed, as he called for more sanctions against Moscow if it refuses “a complete and unconditional ceasefire.”
- 14:44 GMT
The Kremlin “does not rule out” that Russian President Vladimir Putin can have an “international phone call” on Friday night, presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has told journalists. He did not reveal who Putin intended to talk to.
- 14:39 GMT
US President Donald Trump has said he could call his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in the wake of the Istanbul talks between Moscow and Kiev. “I may,” he said on board Air Force One, when asked whether he would talk to the Russian president by phone. Trump has also said that he and Putin “have to meet,” adding that such a meeting could contribute to a resolution of the Ukraine conflict.
- 14:24 GMT
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kiev’s delegation at the Istanbul talks, has said that the negotiations were focused on ceasefire options and a prisoner exchange. He has also claimed that the sides are working on a potential new meeting that could involve Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.
13:51 GMT
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations have agreed that talks will resume after both sides present their vision of a possible ceasefire, Vladimir Medinsky has told journalists.
“We are ready to continue contacts,” the head of the Russian negotiating team stressed
- 13:44 GMT
The Russian side is “satisfied” with the talks in Istanbul, the head of the delegation, Vladimir Medinsky has told journalists.
He confirmed that the two countries have agreed a POW exchange involving 1,000 prisoners from each side.
The Russian team also took notice of Kiev’s request for a face-to-face meeting between Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky, Medinsky added.
- 13:27 GMT
A senior Ukrainian official has told AFP that it is “possible” that another round of talks between Russia and Ukraine could take place in Istanbul on Friday. “It is possible that something will happen today,” the source added, but noted that “so far it is not planned.”
13:07 GMT
Ukraine’s demands for a higher-level Russian delegation are hard to understand, former Turkish diplomat Gulru Gezer has told RT, stressing that it’s not how negotiations work, or have ever worked in the history of diplomacy.
”I fail to understand why Ukraine is demanding higher level delegation. It’s very basic. The 101 of negotiations is that they start at a technical level. You find common ground, certain concessions are made. Then you can take it to the next level, maybe the ministerial level,” Gezer explained.
”Leaders only meet to sign an agreement. You never see it going vice versa because there is no meaning of leaders coming together and shaking hands while there are so many unresolved issues while the war is still continuing,” the former diplomat said.
No comments:
Post a Comment