Russian and Ukrainian officials are to be re -enlisted on Monday, June 2, in Istanbul to have peace discussions. After the first round of negotiations, from May 16, the greatest exchange of prisoners of war took place.
Istanbul peace negotiations, May 16/Photo: Profimedia
On Monday, before discussions for peace, Sergei Lavrov, the head of Russian diplomacy, and Marco Rubio, his American counterpart “They had an exchange of opinions on various initiatives regarding a political settlement of the Ukrainian crisis, including plans to resume direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, on June 2,” the Russian ministry states.
The first round of negotiations, from May 16, led to the greatest exchange of prisoners of war, but did not behave in peace indications – and not even cessation of fire, because both parties presented only their initial negotiation positions, irreconcilable, writes news.ro.
President Volodimir Zelenski has announced that the Minister of Defense Rustem Humorov will meet with Russian officials in Istanbul.
The Russian delegation will be led as the last time by the Kremlin counselor Vladimir Medinski, who, after the first round, invoked the general and the French state man Napoleon Bonaparte to assert that the war and negotiations must always take place.
The idea of direct negotiations was proposed for the first time by President Vladimir Putin, after Ukraine and European powers asked him to accept an armistice, a request rejected by Kremlin.
Putin said that Russia will draft a memorandum that will establish the general contours of a possible peace agreement and only then discuss an armistice.
Kiev said at the weekend that he is still waiting for the Memorandum project from Russia.
On Sunday, Medinski, the main negotiator of the Kremlin, confirmed that Moscow received the project of the Memorandum of Ukraine and told the Russian News Agency that the Kremlin would react on Monday.
According to Trump's special envoy, Keith Kellogg, the two parties will present in Turkey the respective documents in which they expose their ideas about the conditions of peace, although it is clear that, after three years of war, Moscow and Kiev remain in very distant positions.
Kellogg indicated that the US will participate in negotiations and that representatives of Great Britain, France and Germany will be present, although it is not clear at what level the United States will be represented.
The delegation of Ukraine also includes the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as several military officials and information services, according to a decree issued on Sunday by Zelenski.
The Ukrainian negotiators from Istanbul will present the Russian part a proposal of a roadmap to reach a sustainable peace agreement, according to a copy of the document consulted by Reuters.
According to the document, after the conclusion of the peace agreement, there will be no restrictions on the military force of Ukraine, Russia's sovereignty over Ukraine occupied by Moscow forces will not be recognized at international level and Ukraine repairs will be granted. The document also states that the current position of the front line will be the starting point for negotiations regarding the territory.
Russia currently controls slightly under a fifth of Ukraine, ie about 113,100 square km, an area approximately equal to that of the US Ohio.
Trump did a little “crazy” and quarreled with Zelenski in the Oval Bureau, but the US president also said that he believes that peace is possible and that, if Putin, he could impose hard sanctions to Russia.
