Ukraine seeks Trump's aid in high-stakes peace talks
Ukraine is interested in having U.S. President Donald Trump participate in the next meeting between its President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who made the statement on Friday.
What do you need to know?
- Ukraine aims to expand the format of talks with Russia by inviting U.S. President Donald Trump to participate. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha expressed hope for such a meeting during a press conference with Turkey's Foreign Minister.
- During talks in Istanbul on May 16, agreements were reached on three key issues: a prisoner exchange, a ceasefire, and preparations for a meeting between Zelensky and Putin. Ukraine now awaits a Russian memorandum on further steps.
- The next round of peace talks is scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul. Ukraine is ready to participate and expects a constructive discussion along with a peace memorandum from Russia.
- And, of course, we would be pleased if this meeting were to take place in a more expanded format, including the participation of President Trump, Sybiha stated at a press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The Ukrainian minister recalled that agreements were reached during Ukrainian-Russian talks in Istanbul on May 16 concerning the exchange of prisoners, exchanging views on the ceasefire, and beginning steps towards a meeting between Zelensky and Putin, as reported by the Ukrainska Pravda portal.
At a joint conference with Fidan, Sybiha also mentioned that the Ukrainian side expects the promised memorandum text from Russia regarding the war in Ukraine.
- Ukraine has already conveyed its vision of further steps and peace efforts, including the parameters of a future ceasefire, to Russia. We are waiting for the announced memorandum from the Russian side (…), so that the delegation going to the talks has the authority to discuss appropriate positions, declared the Ukrainian Foreign Minister.
Ukraine expects "constructive discussion"
On Thursday, the head of the Ukrainian President's office, Andriy Yermak, said that Ukraine is ready to participate in the second round of peace talks with Russia, scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul, and expects it to be a "constructive discussion." He also emphasized that Kyiv expects Moscow to present a peace agreement memorandum before June 2.
According to Yermak, the Russian side has already received a text detailing Ukraine's position. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tychyj stated that Russia is delaying providing Ukraine with the text of its peace memorandum, likely due to concerns that it is unfeasible.
Earlier on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected Kyiv's demand, arguing that Russia has not received any response from Ukraine regarding the Russian proposal for talks on June 2 in Istanbul. In response, Ukrainian President Zelensky described this as another "maneuver" by Russia intended to render talks between both parties "pointless."
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Moscow had proposed to Kyiv to conduct another round of peace talks on June 2 in Istanbul. - The Russian side, promptly based on the agreements, developed a relevant memorandum outlining our position on all aspects of reliably eliminating the causes of the crisis, Lavrov said, referring to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Also on Wednesday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov announced that Ukraine had given the Russian delegation a document reflecting its own position. - They received this document. We confirm Ukraine's readiness for a full and unconditional ceasefire and further diplomatic work – he emphasized.
