Russia demands exclusion of US, Turkey in peace talks
Russia is demanding that the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul proceed without the involvement of the USA and Turkey. This move could potentially undermine peace efforts, according to a Ukrainian diplomatic source.
What you need to know
- Russia wants to exclude the USA and Turkey from talks: A Ukrainian diplomatic source reported that Russia insists the talks in Istanbul occur without representatives from the United States and Turkey.
- Meeting in Istanbul: On Friday, a meeting took place involving delegations from the USA, Ukraine, and Turkey, attended by the foreign ministers of these countries.
- Further talks: Another meeting is being planned with the participation of Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey, where the Ukrainian delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Russian and Ukrainian delegations will soon begin talks in Istanbul, which will be led by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Reuters reported on Friday, citing sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
These talks mark the first direct discussions between Ukraine and Russia in three years.
Why does Russia want to exclude the USA and Turkey?
A Ukrainian diplomatic source, who chose to remain anonymous, told Reuters that Russia demands the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul exclude representatives from the United States and Turkey. "Yet another sign of the Russian side undermining the peace effort. We came to have a serious conversation, while Russians are putting forward demands, conditions. This makes us doubt whether Putin sent them to solve issues or just stall the process," the source stated.
Does Russia want to halt the peace process?
According to the Ukrainian source, Russia might be apprehensive about the presence of the USA because "they came to stall the process, not solve issues, and they want to hide this from the US," the source added. The Friday meeting in Istanbul included the foreign ministers of the USA, Ukraine, and Turkey: Marco Rubio, Andriy Sybiha, and Hakan Fidan.
What are the further plans for the talks?
In the next meeting scheduled for Friday, representatives from Ukraine, Russia, and Turkey will be in attendance. The Ukrainian side has indicated that its team will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation will be headed by Putin's advisor, Vladimir Medinsky.
