Kiev peace talks see high-stakes diplomacy unfold Monday

    
• The meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian negotiation teams will take place on Monday in Kyiv. This is a crucial moment for both sides.
• The delegations will be led by Medinsky and Umerov. Vladimir Medinsky, a Russian politician of Ukrainian origin, will head the Russian delegation, while Rustem Umerov, Ukraine's Minister of Defense, will lead the Ukrainian side.
• Representatives from other countries will also join the delegates. The Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, will be present, along with security representatives from Germany, the United Kingdom, and France.

The meeting of the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on Monday follows an earlier conflict that could negatively affect the negotiations. Kyiv had requested that Russia present its conditions for ending the invasion of Ukraine before the meeting. However, Moscow did not agree, labeling this proposal as "unconstructive" and stating they do not intend to meet the Ukrainian negotiators' expectations.

According to reports from the TASS agency, the Russian side plans to present a document outlining their demands only during the talks. They referred to it as a "memorandum that sets out our views on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis."

Before the talks begin, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will deliver a speech. European countries will also support Ukraine in the negotiations with Russia. Representatives from Germany, the United Kingdom, and France will participate in the discussions with Ukraine and Russia.

Representatives from Moscow and Kyiv had a previous meeting on May 16 in Istanbul. However, no significant progress was made, leaving the outcome of the talks on Monday, June 2, uncertain. In Istanbul, the only agreement reached concerned the details of a prisoner exchange, which was subsequently carried out.