Negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul have ended - Russian media

The meeting of delegations from Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul has ended. This is reported by Russian media, citing a source in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

According to Russian media, the meeting lasted less than two hours.

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 tripartite meeting Turkey-Russia-Ukraine, which will take place in the same place, was scheduled for 12:30. But the Russian delegation arrived at the venue late. The meeting started around 13:36.

According to media reports, Ukraine accused Russia of undermining the negotiations, demanding that they be held without the US and Turkey.

These are 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 chief Vladimir Putin refused to attend direct negotiations, although he himself had proposed them before that, 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 confirmation of Putin's absence.