Russia, Ukraine to meet in Istanbul for first time since 2022

ISTANBUL - Global media outlets are looking forward to the talks on resolving the Ukraine conflict that are expected to be held in Istanbul on Thursday at Russian President Vladimir Putin’s initiative.

The meeting may mark the first direct contact between the delegations of Russia and Ukraine since March 2022, when negotiators from Moscow and Kiev engaged in dialogue at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace.

Once again, Russia’s delegation will be led by Kremlin Aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Russian news agency, TASS.

Just like in 2022, the delegation will include Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. The Russian Foreign Ministry will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin who is in charge of issues related to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

Three years ago, Russia’s delegation included Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko but now, he is responsible for another region at the ministry. Igor Kostyukov, head of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, will be the fourth Russian negotiator.

Moscow will also send a team of experts to Istanbul, namely Alexander Zorin, first deputy chief information officer at the Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff, Yelena Podobreyevskaya, deputy head of the Russian presidential office for state humanitarian policy, Alexey Polishchuk, director of the Foreign Ministry’s Second CIS Department, and Viktor Shevtsov, deputy chief of the Defense Ministry’s Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation.

US officials are also expected in Turkey. US President Donald Trump stated earlier that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other officials would travel to Turkey for the projected talks on Ukraine.

A White House spokesperson told reporters that US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg would go to Istanbul. Trump did not even rule out that he could travel to Istanbul himself if it benefited the negotiations.

Little is known about the agenda of the projected talks, as is usually the case when it comes to such important diplomatic meetings.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov specified that the Istanbul meeting would address issues related to reaching a sustainable solution to the conflict, and the reality of the ground, including the territorial issue.

"It is too early to make forecasts," the senior diplomat stressed, adding that much would depend on the position of Kiev’s Western sponsors.

Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s ambassador-at-large, believes that the document that Russian and Ukrainian negotiators approved in Istanbul back in 2022 could be one of the options for settling the conflict, provided that certain adjustments are made based on the developments of the past three years. - BERNAMA