Ukraine has expressed its willingness to engage in more direct discussions with Russia, insisting that Moscow must present its peace terms beforehand to ensure meaningful outcomes from the talks.
“We are open to further meetings with the Russians and are waiting for their memorandum,” stated Ukrainian defence minister Rustem Umerov in a post on X, previously known as Twitter.
“The Russian side has at least four more days before their departure to provide us with their document for review.”
Previously, Russia announced that it had created a “peace memorandum” detailing its conditions for ending the conflict, which it plans to present to Ukraine during a second round of direct talks in Istanbul on June 2.
“Our delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is prepared to present a memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and offer necessary explanations during a second round of direct discussions in Istanbul on Monday, June 2,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in a video statement.
“I would like to once again thank our Turkish partners for offering such a welcoming venue, as confirmed yesterday by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during his visit to Moscow,” Mr. Lavrov added.
Mr. Medinsky, a Russian political scientist and former culture minister, headed Russia’s negotiating team in the first round of talks on May 16.
The Kremlin previously dismissed a proposal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a three-way summit involving Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin.
Russia indicated that any meeting involving President Vladimir Putin and Mr. Zelensky would only take place after “concrete agreements” had been made between the negotiators from both sides.
‘Ready for any format’
US President Donald Trump has voiced frustration at both Ukraine and Russia for failing to reach a deal to resolve the conflict.
In recent weeks, both sides have engaged in large-scale aerial assaults, with Ukraine launching one of its biggest drone barrages against Russia overnight, according to the Russian defense ministry.
“If Putin is not comfortable with a bilateral meeting, or if everyone prefers a trilateral meeting, I am open to any format,” Mr. Zelensky remarked in comments to journalists made public today.
The Ukrainian leader stated he was “ready” for a “Trump-Putin-me” meeting.
When asked about Mr. Zelensky’s remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated, “Such a meeting should stem from concrete agreements between the two (Ukrainian and Russian) delegations.”
While the talks in Istanbul earlier this month did not lead to significant progress, the two sides did agree on a 1,000-for-1,000 prisoner swap—their largest exchange to date.
Russia has consistently rejected coordinated Western calls for an immediate ceasefire, while Ukraine has advocated for increased pressure on Russia to accept a peace deal.
Russia’s offensive, initiated in February 2022, has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties and the devastation of large areas of eastern and southern Ukraine.
The Russian military now controls approximately one-fifth of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean Peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
‘Amassing’ troops
Mr. Zelensky accused Russia of prolonging the peace process and showing no interest in halting its offensive.
“They will continually seek reasons not to end the war,” he stated at a press conference in Berlin alongside German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, criticizing Russia for failing to agree on a venue for the next round of negotiations.
Mr. Zelensky also urged allies to invite Ukraine to a NATO summit in June, warning that failing to do so would represent a victory for Russia.
Mr. Merz stated that Germany will assist Ukraine in developing new long-range weaponry capable of targeting locations within Russian territory. Neither leader provided specific details.
The Kremlin asserted that Germany’s support for Ukraine would “impede peace efforts.”
On the battlefield, Mr. Zelensky reported that Russia was “amassing” over 50,000 troops along the front line in the northeastern Sumy border area, where Russian forces have captured several settlements in an effort to establish what Mr. Putin has termed a “buffer zone” within Ukrainian territory.
Russia’s military announced it had taken another village in the Sumy region.
