Russian demands stall Istanbul talks with Ukraine
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, stated on Friday that he is satisfied with the outcome of the talks with the Ukrainian side in Istanbul. However, Kyiv reports quite different feelings. Ukrainian sources say the demands presented by the Russians are "unrealistic" and exceed anything discussed earlier.
What do you need to know?
- The negotiations in Istanbul concluded in under two hours, with the Russians expressing satisfaction with the result.
- Ukrainian sources considered the Russian demands unrealistic, complicating further negotiations.
- A prisoner exchange was discussed with a ratio of 1,000 for 1,000, expected to take place in the coming days.
The talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul ended on Friday in under two hours, as reported by Reuters, citing sources. The agency noted that there are no signs of progress regarding possible alignment of the parties' positions.
Both Kyiv and Moscow representatives spoke after the talks concluded.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov stated that during Friday's talks in Istanbul, the Ukrainian and Russian delegations discussed the possibility of conducting a prisoner exchange involving 1,000 individuals each.
The parties also discussed a ceasefire and preparing for a potential meeting between Presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, he indicated.
"The goal of our talks was to discuss the ceasefire, the prisoner exchange, and potentially preparing a meeting at the level of the country's leaders," Umerov emphasized.
Russians satisfied with the talks
The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, stated that he is satisfied with the outcome of the talks. Medinsky also confirmed that the prisoner exchange involving 1,000 for 1,000 was discussed. "It will occur in the coming days," he indicated.
Medinsky conveyed that Kyiv requested talks at the presidential level between Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.
Rodion Miroshnik, participating in the talks, referred to the possible Putin-Zelensky talks as pointless. "The mere fact of such a meeting will not bring any added value. We need substantive agreement projects, which the Russian delegation requested from the Ukrainian side. The 'conversational genre' alone is not enough here; we need substantive things that will form the basis for a possible peaceful solution," he said, as quoted by the Kremlin agency TASS.
The Russian side also announced plans to continue talks. Each side is to present detailed concepts regarding a future ceasefire.
Unrealistic demands from Russia
According to information from Reuters, Axios, and Sky News, the Russian demands are "unrealistic." Among the proposals was the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from areas considered by the Russians as "occupied," namely, the territories of the Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, and Luhansk regions.
Ukrainian media also highlight that the Moscow delegation did not want the Turkish side to participate in the talks.
