Kremlin affirms Putin open to discussions with Ukraine
(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to engaging in direct, high-level negotiations with Ukraine to resolve the ongoing conflict, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated on Friday. However, Putin believes such talks should only occur after meaningful progress is made in the current negotiations between the two countries’ delegations.
Peskov confirmed that the Russian negotiation team is en route to Istanbul, where the next round of discussions is scheduled for Monday, June 2. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also confirmed the delegation’s travel plans and said Russia will present its draft memorandum proposing a roadmap for a potential ceasefire and peaceful resolution.
Zakharova emphasized that the meeting will be bilateral, with no plans for mediation by Türkiye or any other nation. She acknowledged reports that envoys from the U.S., U.K., France, and Germany may be in Istanbul on the same date but noted Russia sees no connection between their presence and the negotiations.
The upcoming meeting follows the May 16 session in Istanbul—the first formal talks since 2022—which led to the largest prisoner exchange yet, with 1,000 individuals released on both sides. During that round, both parties agreed to submit written proposals ahead of the next meeting.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that Moscow had completed its memorandum and proposed June 2 for the next round. Ukraine, however, criticized Russia for not sharing the document in advance, arguing that Kiev had already submitted its own version.
Peskov dismissed Ukraine’s demand to see the Russian proposal before the talks, calling it "unconstructive" and stating that Kiev should simply confirm whether it is ready to negotiate.
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