Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul sideline U.S. and Turkey
Reuters reports that delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Istanbul, Turkey. This marks the first meeting of representatives from both countries since 2022.
The Ukrainian side previously announced that Defence Minister Rustem Umerov would lead its team. Putin's advisor, Vladimir Medinsky, heads the Russian delegation.
Earlier on Friday, delegations from the U.S., Ukraine, and Turkey met in Istanbul to discuss the end of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The talks, which lasted about one hour, included the foreign ministers of these countries: Marco Rubio, Andrij Sybiha, and Hakan Fidan.
Rubio criticized the lack of seriousness from Russia in the talks to end the war in Ukraine. During the NATO summit in Antalya, he stated that the delegation sent by Moscow offers no hope for real negotiations, and that further unproductive meetings make no sense.
Does Russia want to talk without the U.S.? Worrying signals
Reuters, citing a source in Ukrainian diplomacy, reported on Friday that Russia demands the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul take place without representatives from the United States and Turkey.
"Yet another sign of the Russian side undermining the peace effort. We came to have a serious conversation, while Russians are putting forward demands, conditions. This makes us doubt whether Putin sent them to solve issues or just stall the process," a Reuters informant conveyed.
"They [Russians] came to stall the process, not solve issues, and they want to hide this from the US," the Ukrainian source claims.
Meanwhile, as reported by AFP, the Ukrainian delegation hopes to discuss in Istanbul the possibility of a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin.
