A trilateral meeting between Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine has begun in Istanbul under the chairmanship of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Anadolu reported and showed a photo from the negotiation site, UNN writes.
A trilateral meeting between Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine has begun under the chairmanship of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at the Dolmabahce Presidential Office in Istanbul
"Direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations have begun in Istanbul for the first time in more than 3 years," the publication emphasizes.
In his opening speech at the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks in Istanbul, Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan said: "We must seize this opportunity to advance on the path to peace."
Supplement
Turkish, American, and Ukrainian delegations met at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul under the chairmanship of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan as part of the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks on May 15 at around 10:45. Negotiations lasted until approximately 12 o'clock.
The trilateral meeting between Turkey, Russia, and Ukraine, which will take place in the same place, was scheduled for 12:30. But the Russian delegation arrived at the venue with a delay. Later, Russian media reported that the head of the Russian delegation, Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, was to join the negotiations after a meeting with US representatives, his car later arrived at the venue of negotiations with Ukraine after a meeting with US representatives.
According to media reports, Ukraine accused Russia of undermining the negotiations, demanding that they be held without the US and Turkey.
These will be the first direct talks between Kyiv and Moscow since those shortly after the Kremlin's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arrived in Turkey ready for negotiations, but Kremlin head Vladimir Putin refused to attend direct negotiations, although he himself had proposed them before, and instead sent a lower-level delegation.
US President Donald Trump hinted that he was ready to join high-level talks in Turkey, but dispelled any hope of a breakthrough after confirming Putin's absence.