Russia confirms preparations for direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul

English , International - بین الاقوامی , Snippets , / Tuesday, May 13th, 2025

Download this post as PDF

Moscow, May 13 (QNA) – Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced on Tuesday that his country is continuing its preparations for direct negotiations with Ukraine, scheduled to take place on Thursday in Istanbul, Turkiye.
Peskov added that Russia will announce the identity of its representative to the negotiations once President Vladimir Putin deems it necessary.
Responding to a question regarding the potential participation of European leaders at the negotiating table in Turkiye, Peskov asserted that Europe stands entirely aligned with Ukraine and, therefore, cannot credibly claim to adopt a neutral or balanced posture in such a pivotal negotiation process.
Last Sunday, Putin announced an initiative to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, without any preconditions, in response to the Ukrainian and European proposal for direct talks conditioned on Russia’s acceptance of a 30-day truce.
The administration of US President Donald Trump is mediating efforts to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, with high-level talks having been held with the Russian side in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 18.