Negotiations in Istanbul begin: the Ukrainian delegation has departed from Ankara, the Russian delegation is already traveling to Dolmabahce Palace

There will be no leaders of countries at this stage of negotiations

Direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul may begin in the near future. The Russian delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, left the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul and headed to Dolmabahce Palace , where the delegations will meet. At the same time, at about 16.30 Istanbul time, the Ukrainian delegation flew from Ankara, where Zelensky met with Erdogan, to Istanbul.

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Zelensky decided not to go to Istanbul, and Medinsky announced the necessary powers to conduct negotiations

The Ukrainian delegation at the negotiations with Russia in Istanbul will be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Vladimir Zelensky, at a press conference after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Erdogan in Ankara, said that he still decided to send the Ukrainian delegation to negotiations “Out of respect for Trump, Turkey and Erdogan,” although a few hours earlier he called the composition of the Russian delegation “sham.”

Earlier it was reported that the Ukrainian delegation will include the head of Zelensky’s office Andrey Ermak, the deputy head of the office Igor Zhovkva, the Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov and the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Andrey Sibiga. But most of these officials will not take part in the negotiations, since Sergei Lavrov and Yuri Ushakov will not be present on the Russian side.

In turn, Vladimir Medinsky told reporters that the Russian delegation “has the necessary competencies and powers to conduct the negotiation process.” Medinsky also led the Russian delegation during the 2022 Istanbul negotiations , when the parties entered into an Istanbul agreement, which was ultimately never signed.

Russia and Ukraine see the goals of the negotiation process differently

According to Zelensky, the main issue in negotiations with Russia should be a ceasefire. At the same time, Medinsky stated that the task of direct contacts with Ukraine is “to establish long-term peace by eliminating the root causes of the conflict.”

Initially, Vladimir Zelensky proposed holding direct negotiations between the leaders of Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Istanbul. Donald Trump, who is currently on a visit to the Middle East, also announced the possibility of flying to Istanbul if Putin is there.

Vladimir Putin did not agree with the idea of ​​holding a meeting at the level of leaders in the near future. In this regard, Donald Trump said that he does not expect a breakthrough in the peace settlement until he personally meets with Putin.

Photo: Russian delegation in Istanbul, May 15, 2025. REUTERS/Vladimir Soldatkin

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