Senior Ukrainian officials met today in Istanbul with European security advisers on the eve of planned talks with Russia, from which European countries are excluded. This was reported to Agence France-Presse by a source in the Ukrainian delegation, BTA reports.
The meeting was attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga and Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Yermak. On the Western side, senior security advisers to the leaders of France, Germany and Britain, as well as US special envoy Keith Kellogg, the source specified.