“In my telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, I repeated the message of US President Donald Trump: death and destruction should stop. The United States has presented a powerful peace plan, and we welcome the prisoner of war exchange agreement achieved in Istanbul. Do not lose this huge opportunity. Time to put the horses with this war,” he wrote.
In my phone, call with Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, I noticed @Potus 'S Message: Death and destruction should slow down. The United States was represented by a strong plan of the plan and we will come to the annexed battle defense battle achieved in Istanbul. Let's Not Miss This Huge …
– Secretary Marco Rubio (@secrubio) May 17, 2025
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Facebook said that the conversation took place on the initiative of the American side. The message indicated that Lavrov and Rubio exchanged views on the results of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, reached agreements on the exchange of prisoners of war and the intentions of the parties to prepare their own proposals to achieve a ceasefire. The department noted that Lavrov recognized the “constructive role that the United States played, encouraging Kyiv to finally accept the proposal [нелегитимного российского] President Vladimir Putin to resume negotiations in Istanbul. “The statement also states the discussion of international and regional issues and the exchange of views on” the continuation of Russian-American contacts. “
Context
On May 16, negotiations of delegations of the Russian Federation and Ukraine were negotiated. The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine said according to the results of negotiations that the Russians demanded a number of things unacceptable to Ukraine.
The interlocutor in Ukrainian diplomacy told Sky News that in the negotiations in Istanbul The Russian Federation demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the “its territories” for the ceasefire (what exactly was being discussed, the channel did not specify). There were other requirements that cannot be fulfilled.
According to the informed interlocutor, which was referred to by the journalist The Economist Oliver Carroll, the Russian delegation also threatened to seize the Kharkov or Sumy region. The head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the Russian Federation allegedly “could fight forever.” In addition, the interlocutor of the “suspension” said that the delegation of the Russian Federation was made a demand to recognize Crimea by the Russian one.
President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky noted that Russians “do everything possible to turn this meeting in Istanbul into a staged, empty process.”
