Ukraine War: Kremlin spokesman Peskow confirms directly discussions with Ukraine

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskow has confirmed the participation of Russia in direct negotiations with representatives of Ukraine in Istanbul. “Our delegation actually broke up to Istanbul and negotiations are actually planned in the evening,” said Peskow, according to the state Russian news agency TASS. The talks are scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. CEST in the Hotel Ciragan Palace, it said from sources in the Turkish Foreign Minister.

“Of course this will be a very difficult conversation,” said Peskow, referring to the exchanged position papers of the warring parties. It will be about the continuation of the mutual exchanges. If necessary, other questions could also be discussed. This is decided by the delegation managers. The delegation is listed unchanged by the presidential advisor and ex-cultural minister Vladimir Medinski.

The breakthrough is considered unlikely

The Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj had previously announced the appointment and slowed expectations of the meeting. For Kiev, the expansion of the prisoner exchange and the withdrawal of children, which Russia had deported from the occupied areas, was primarily, he said on Tuesday. The Ukrainian team’s chief negotiator will again be the ex-defense minister and newly appointed secretary of the National Security Council, Rustem Umjerow. According to Turkish information, the head of the Turkish secret service should also take part in the talks, Ibrahim Kalin, and the chief of staff Metin Gürak.

Moscow and Kyiv have again recorded direct talks in May in 2022. A breakthrough for a ceasefire in this third round of negotiation is unlikely. Russia has been moving Ukraine with a destructive war of aggression for more than three years.