The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine since the spring of 2022. are expected to begin today in Istanbul.
The Russian delegation, led by Putin's advisor Vladimir Medinsky, indicated that the goal of direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side is "establishing long-term peace and resolving the root causes of the crisis".
Moscow views the current negotiations as "a continuation of the peace process interrupted in 2022".
"Our delegation has all the necessary competencies and powers to conduct negotiations and is committed to a constructive approach to finding possible solutions and common ground", Medinsky emphasized.
He noted that on Friday the Russian delegation will wait for the Ukrainian side, which is due to arrive for the meeting at 10 a.m. Medinsky indicated that the Russian group had arrived for "direct bilateral negotiations without preconditions".
Last night, the Russians spoke with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and a trilateral meeting of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine is also planned for today, according to a source in the Turkish diplomatic service.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky refused to go to Istanbul, citing Putin's absence, but formed his own group, headed by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, which is to attend the negotiations. On Thursday, Zelensky also met with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Zelensky a "pathetic person" when commenting on his request for Putin's personal presence at the negotiations. According to the Russian Foreign Minister, Moscow wants to achieve "a long-term settlement". He once again reminded that there can be no question of the presence of a military contingent of foreign countries in Ukraine. The diplomat called the behavior of the ambassadors of European countries, who previously "refused to attend a special meeting on Ukraine", "shameful".
Until last night, a decision had not been made to hold quadrilateral contacts between the delegations of Turkey, Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Istanbul.
According to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the only way to achieve a breakthrough in the peaceful settlement of Ukraine is a meeting between Putin and Zelensky.
However, the press secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov reported that Putin does not plan to travel to Istanbul in the coming days. Trump, in turn, said that he did not know exactly where he would go on May 16, but that he would most likely return to the United States. At the same time, the US administration expects that a personal meeting of the leaders will take place very soon.
Rubio nevertheless told journalists in Antalya that a representative of the US administration will attend the negotiations in Istanbul.
When asked about the format of the negotiations scheduled for today, Rubio said that he would meet in Istanbul with “Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the Ukrainian delegation“.
“I will meet with them. Someone from our team will participate in the negotiations with Russia. They sent a lower-level team“, Rubio said.
“I hope that these negotiations between Ukraine and Russia will be held in the presence of our Turkish colleagues, as well as some representatives or members of our team at the appropriate level“, continued the US Secretary of State.