Zelensky Confirms Ukrainian Delegation Will Attend Peace Talks in Istanbul

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine will participate in the second round of negotiations with Russia, set to take place in Istanbul on Monday, June 2.

“Our delegation will attend the talks on Monday,” Zelensky said in a statement posted to his official Telegram channel. “We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state, and our people.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced the talks on Wednesday evening and said Moscow would present a memorandum towards a ceasefire to Kyiv at the talks.

Kyiv initially delayed confirmation, requesting to review the Russian memorandum in advance. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defense minister, said Ukraine had already submitted its own memorandum to Russian envoy Vladimir Medinsky and emphasized that talks “must yield results,” requiring thorough preparation and transparency from both sides.

Zelensky said he had given clear directives ahead of the meeting, outlining Ukraine’s key demands: a complete and unconditional ceasefire, the release of all prisoners, and the return of abducted Ukrainian children.

He also called for a high-level summit between the two countries’ leaders to reach lasting peace and ensure long-term security. Rustem Umerov will lead the delegation.

Zelensky added that he had met earlier on Saturday with top officials, including the ministers of defense and foreign affairs, military leadership, intelligence, and the Security Service of Ukraine.

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Zelensky Says Putin Does Not Want Peace After Rejecting Meeting Proposal

Volodymyr Zelensky sent an open letter to Vladimir Putin late Wednesday, demanding a direct meeting on neutral ground and security guarantees to end Russia’s war. Putin dismissed and mocked the proposal. In his latest response, Zelensky said Russia does not want to end the war, describing Putin’s response as “weak”.

Kyiv has presented its version of the memorandum to Washington and Moscow, where unnamed Ukrainian officials reportedly told the New York Times that it centered on a full ceasefire monitored by international partners. 

Reuters, citing its Kremlin sources, said Moscow’s version contains maximalist demands such as a freeze on NATO expansion, removal of sanctions, and Ukraine’s permanent neutrality

Despite the lack of documents from Moscow before the talks, Washington’s Ukraine Envoy Keith Kellogg has urged Kyiv to attend Monday’s talks nonetheless.