Russia proposes next round of talks with Ukraine on 2 June in Istanbul – Russia's foreign minister

May 28, 2025 - 16:02

Russia has proposed that the second round of negotiations with Ukraine be held in Istanbul on 2 June, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency TASS, citing Lavrov

Details: Lavrov claimed that the Russian side had "promptly" developed a memorandum "outlining Russia’s position on all aspects of reliably addressing the root causes".

He stated that the Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is prepared to present this document to the Ukrainian side during the second round of negotiations in Istanbul on 2 June.

Background:

On 16 May, direct talks were held in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations for the first time in over three years. Serhii Kyslytsia, First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine, a member of Ukraine’s delegation at the Istanbul talks with Russia, stated that the Russian representatives, led by Medinsky, behaved aggressively and issued direct threats to the Ukrainian side.
On 19 May, Russian ruler Vladimir Putin said that Russia is ready to work on a memorandum with Ukraine which would include a possible ceasefire for a certain period of time.
On 19 May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv would be waiting for the Russian memorandum. "If Russia proposes a memorandum, we will be able to formulate our vision," he noted.
On 23 May, Zelenskyy stated that the fact that Russia had been drafting a so-called "memorandum" on a ceasefire for a week is a mockery of the entire world.

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