Karina Bovsunovska15:27, 16.05.25
The parties to the conflict met for the first time since 2022.
A meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations with the participation of the Turkish side took place in Istanbul .
During the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that his country considers it important that Russia and Ukraine heed the calls of US President Donald Trump and Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan to make peace, Clash Report quotes .
He added that the Istanbul talks should culminate in a Russian-Ukrainian summit.
“Russia and Ukraine must choose between reaching a peace agreement or continuing new deaths,” Fidan stressed.
At the same time, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told Axios that the Russian delegation plans to fly to the airport immediately after the meeting, rather than staying in Istanbul to discuss a ceasefire, Clash Report reports .
In turn, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, wrote in his Telegram that the Russians want to build associations during the negotiations with 2022, but now this meeting, compared to the previous one, is not distinguished only by the venue.
“The Russians want to build associations with 2022. But all that ties the negotiations to this is exclusively the city of Istanbul. And nothing more. All attempts by the Russians to tie today to 2022 will not work,” he assured.
Updated 14:20 . At the last minute before the negotiations, the Russian delegation demanded that the American side not be present at the meeting, reports Suspilne , citing sources in the Ukrainian delegation.
“In our opinion, this is an attempt to disrupt the peace process, to undermine it. Because if they came to really resolve issues, to take steps towards peace, then they should be interested in having the Americans in the room to see it,” the Ukrainian delegation told journalists.
The source added that Ukrainian representatives arrived with clear mandates and a willingness to discuss a ceasefire, as well as a meeting between Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.
Updated 15:25 . As reported by Reuters, the meeting between the delegations of Turkey, Russia and Ukraine has ended.
(c)UNIAN 2025
The Moskali are running scared. They know now that the world is unified against them and rather than hear that, they run home to Mordor.
Zelenski 1
Putler 0
“Russia and Ukraine must choose between reaching a peace agreement or continuing new deaths,” Fidan stressed.
Here we go again with the both sides BS. Only one person wants this war to carry on, and we know who it is.