Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul: Tensions rise without USA
In Istanbul, Turkey, delegations from Russia and Ukraine met, as reported by Reuters. This is the first meeting of representatives from both countries since 2022.
The Ukrainian side had previously informed that its team would be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. The Russian delegation is headed by Putin's advisor, Vladimir Medinsky.
Earlier on Friday, a meeting of delegations from the USA, Ukraine, and Turkey took place in Istanbul concerning the end of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The talks, which lasted about one hour, included the foreign ministers of these countries: Marco Rubio, Andrij Sybiha, and Hakan Fidan.
Rubio criticized the lack of seriousness from Russia in the talks to end the war in Ukraine. During the NATO summit in Antalya, he stated that the delegation sent by Moscow offers no hope for real negotiations, and further unproductive meetings make no sense.
Does Russia want to talk without the USA? Worrying signals
Reuters, citing a source in Ukrainian diplomacy, reported on Friday that Russia demands the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul take place without representatives of 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," a Reuters informant conveyed.
The Ukrainian source claims that there is only one reason for the Russians to be afraid of having the U.S. in the room: "They came to stall the process, not solve issues, and they want to hide this from the U.S."
Meanwhile, as reported by AFP, the Ukrainian delegation hopes to discuss in Istanbul the possibility of a direct meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
