Ukrainian and Russian officials begin first direct peace talks in three years
The first direct peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow since 2022 are taking place in Istanbul.
Ukrainian Defence minister Rustem Umerov, Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha and Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of cabinet Andriy Yermak are taking part. The Russian delegation is led by Vladimir Putin’s adviser Vladimir Medinsky, considered a lightweight in the West. Medinsky was also involved in talks in spring 2022, which came to nothing.
Zelensky wanted a meeting with Putin on Thursday, but Putin did not agree.
Umarov, the head of Ukraine’s delegation in Istanbul, says peace is possible only if Russia agrees to a 30-day ceasefire, the return of abducted Ukrainian children and the exchange of all prisoners of war. Ukraine is looking for “real paths to a lasting and just peace”, he said on Facebook.
Diplomatic talks
In anticipation of the first direct Ukrainian-Russian negotiations in more than three years, diplomatic talks have been taking place in Istanbul all day.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio met French, British and German diplomatic and security advisers on Friday afternoon, to discuss Ukraine and Iran.
Earlier in the day, he had trilateral talks with representatives from Turkey and Ukraine. According to a US spokesperson, the delegations discussed the importance of seeking a peaceful end to the war in Ukraine. “The killing needs to stop,” Rubio said.
Donald Trump told reporters that progress was unlikely to happen unless he and Putin met. Rubio agreed, saying: “I don’t think we're going to have a breakthrough here until President Trump and President Putin interact directly on this topic.”
"President Putin does not want peace. It is time to step up the pressure until he is ready for peace"
Meanwhile, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said it was time for Europe to intensify pressure on Russia. She made the comments on Friday in Tirana, Albania, ahead of a meeting of the European Political Community.
“President Putin does not want peace,” she said. “It is time to step up the pressure until he is ready for peace.”
The EU is working on a new set of sanctions, including a ban on Nord Stream – the two gas pipelines linking Russia to Germany via the Baltic Sea – and a lower price cap for crude oil. Russian banks and those in third countries that support Russia will also be targeted.
Turkish, American and Ukrainian officials ahead of peace talks between Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul, 16 May 2024 © PHOTO HANDOUT TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY / AFP
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