Russia, Ukraine set for third round of peace talks in Istanbul
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Image: Reuters
Moscow: The third round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine is set to begin in Istanbul, with a Russian delegation already en route to the city. According to Russian media reports, the negotiations could commence as early as Wednesday evening.
The Russian team is led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, while the Ukrainian delegation is headed by Rustem Umerov, Secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council. Umerov, a former Defence Minister, was appointed to his current role last month and also led Ukraine’s team in the previous two rounds of talks held in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2. Those earlier discussions resulted in prisoner exchanges but made little headway towards a ceasefire agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for accelerated negotiations, stressing that "everything should be done to achieve a ceasefire."
However, the Kremlin has lowered expectations ahead of the meeting. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said there was "no reason to hope for some miraculous breakthroughs," calling such outcomes "hardly possible in the current situation." He added that Russia would continue to pursue its strategic goals and safeguard its interests, noting that Moscow and Kyiv remain "diametrically opposed" in their views on how to resolve the conflict.
After the last round of peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin described the proposals exchanged by both sides as “absolutely contradictory memorandums.” Russia is demanding that Ukraine adopt a stance of neutrality, refrain from joining military alliances, and officially recognise Crimea, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as Russian territory.
In contrast, Ukraine’s memorandum asserts the country's right to determine its own alliances, stating it is “not forced to be neutral” and may pursue membership in the European Union and NATO. The document also notes that Ukraine’s NATO membership depends on consensus within the alliance.
Amid the ongoing war, Zelensky announced last week that Ukraine will boost its domestic arms production to meet half of its military needs within six months. He also revealed that the country has developed its own long-range drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory.
With IANS inputs
