Unnamed Ukrainian officials said the Moscow delegation rejected US and Turkish mediation during Friday’s peace talks, insisting that it takes place bilaterally with Kyiv.
The Kyiv-Moscow talks, initially scheduled to start at 12:30 p.m., were delayed for more than an hour.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that the Russian delegation is “trying to get rid of the Americans by any means necessary.”
“Perhaps they do not want a third party to see the (negotiations) process being disrupted,” they added.
RBC Ukraine, citing its own sources, also said the Russian delegation rejected US and Turkish mediation but added that the Turkish side is likely to be present for the welcoming speech.
The US delegation, headed by State Secretary Marco Rubio, met with the Ukrainian delegation on Friday morning prior to the Kyiv-Moscow talks.
The Ukrainian delegation is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, while the Russian delegation is headed by Kremlin hawk and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky
Friday’s talks in Istanbul mark the first direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow after similar talks failed in the same city in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that the aim is to agree on a 30-day unconditional ceasefire, though the low-level Russian delegation likely lacks the authority to call for a ceasefire.
What the 30th Anniversary of Ukraine’s Constitution Means in a Nation at War
Russian leader Vladimir Putin proposed the recent talks in response to the West’s ceasefire ultimatum but has refused to attend in person despite Zelensky’s insistence.
Zelensky arrived in Turkey to meet with his Turkish counterpart on Thursday but has since departed for Albania.
You can also highlight the text and press Ctrl + Enter
