Moscow proposes second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on Monday

As Russia signals readiness for fresh peace talks, Ukraine urges immediate delivery of Moscow's memorandum, stressing the need for a productive and result-oriented meeting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday announced that Russia is prepared to hold the second round of peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2. Speaking via a written statement carried by Russian state media TASS, Lavrov credited the involvement of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye for helping to create the conditions for the resumption of direct negotiations.

The first round, held on May 16 in Istanbul, led to a mutual prisoner exchange involving 1,000 individuals on each side and resulted in a commitment to prepare position documents for a sustainable resolution. Lavrov noted that Russia has now finalised a memorandum detailing its views on addressing the core causes of the conflict and is prepared to present it during the upcoming talks.

“Our delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide the necessary explanations during the second round in Istanbul next Monday, June 2,” Lavrov said, while also thanking Türkiye for facilitating the negotiations.

Ukraine responded promptly to Russia’s proposal, with Defence Minister Rustem Umerov stating that Kyiv is fully prepared for a complete and unconditional ceasefire and expects Russia to share its memorandum ahead of the next meeting.

“We are not against meetings with the Russians and expect their ‘memorandum’ so that the meeting is not empty and can really bring the end of the war closer,” Umerov posted on social media platform X. He added that delays from Moscow had hindered progress, but pressure from international leaders, including President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, helped push the process forward.

Umerov confirmed that Ukraine had already submitted its own position document and urged Russia to fulfil its promise to deliver its memorandum, cautioning against turning the talks into “a destructive one.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed this stance, questioning the need to wait until Monday. “If the Russians have finally elaborated on their 'memorandum'—after ten days of reflections and attacks—it can be passed to us right away,” he said.

He emphasised that any future dialogue must be well-prepared and meaningful. “Only a well-prepared meeting has the potential to produce tangible results,” Sybiha noted.

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