Russia views the fresh negotiation with Ukraine in Istanbul, Turkey, as a “continuation” of the peace process disrupted in 2022, Russia’s chief negotiator said.
The main objective of the delegation is to secure lasting peace and eliminate the underlying causes of the Ukraine conflict, said Russian Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, who led the country’s delegation.
Medinsky noted that the delegation, which was approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order, has the necessary competencies to conduct negotiations, Xinhua news agency reported.
The diplomat said the Russian team is focused on “finding possible solutions” and common ground through a constructive approach.
In a statement on Sunday, Putin proposed the resumption of direct negotiations with Ukraine on Thursday in Istanbul.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said he is open to a face-to-face meeting with Putin.
According to a Kremlin statement on Wednesday, Putin was not on the list of the delegation heading for the negotiations.
Zelensky said on Thursday he would not attend the peace talks in Istanbul, though Kyiv will send a delegation there.
The last direct talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul in March 2022, where the two sides failed to agree to halt the fighting.
Moscow’s goal in the expected peace talks with Ukraine in Istanbul is achieving “sustainable peace” by addressing the “root causes of the conflict” rather than a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on May 15.
The comments come as Russian and Ukrainian delegates are expected to meet in Istanbul for what would be the first direct negotiations between the two parties since 2022.
Ukraine has called for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire as the first step toward peace talks — a position backed by the US and European countries but rejected by Russia.
Moscow has instead called to resume negotiations but rejected President Zelensky’s appeal for an in-person meeting with Russian President Putin.
Ukrainian officials are reportedly planning to only discuss ways for implementing and monitoring a ceasefire, making the prospects of a deal unlikely in light of Lavrov’s comments.
Lavrov nevertheless said that the negotiations should be “given a chance,” adding that “no one can guarantee that everything will go smoothly, without problems”.
Russia’s top diplomat said that Kyiv’s Western partners should press Ukraine to repeal its national minority laws, saying it would “cost nothing to the Americans and the Europeans”.
Moscow has repeatedly portrayed Ukraine’s legislation aimed against Russification and in support of the Ukrainian national identity as one of the key causes of its full-scale invasion.
Speaking to journalists upon his arrival at Ankara airport, Zelensky said that the Ukrainian delegation is of the “highest level,” including Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, representatives of the military and the Presidential Office, and heads of “all intelligence agencies”.
The Russian delegation is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and further consists of Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Military Intelligence Director Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin.
Medinsky led the first unsuccessful talks with Ukraine in 2022.
It remains unclear whether the talks will take place despite Putin’s absence.
“We need to understand what the level of the Russian delegation is, what their mandate is, and whether they are capable of making decisions on their own,” Zelensky said after arriving in Ankara.
“Because we all know who makes decisions in Russia,” he added, saying Moscow appears to have sent a “sham” delegation.
