Russia invites you to the peace round: Talks with Ukraine in Istanbul!

Russia invites you to the peace round: Talks with Ukraine in Istanbul!

Moscow proposed the continuation of the talks with Kiev for the coming Monday. The conference location is said to be Istanbul again, said Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrow. This second round of direct discussions is of great importance, since the conflict between Russia and Ukraine remains unsolved. Lavrov emphasized that there is a Russian concept for the negotiations that outline the basic causes of the crisis.

The Russian delegation is headed by chief negotiator Vladimir Medinskij, who is willing to present and explain the memorandum of the Ukrainian side. Lavrov thanked the Turkish partners and expressed hopes for their support in the peace process. Medinskij announced that he sent Ukraine's suggestions for an exchange of memorands or conditions to end the fights and expects an answer from Kiev.

First results of the talks

The first round of these direct talks took place on May 16 in Istanbul, and ended without substantial approaches regarding a ceasefire. Nevertheless, both sides agreed to carry out a large -scale prisoner exchange that has now been completed. Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj had confirmed the release of 307 prisoners by Russia, while 390 prisoners were released the day before. This number includes both soldiers and civilians who came from Kiev controlled areas in the Republic of Belarus.

The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the exchange, in which a total of 270 prisoners of war and 120 civilians were released from the Ukrainian captivity. Among the released soldiers there are forces fought on the front lines in Donetsk, Luhansk, Saporischschja, Kharkiw and Cherson. These developments are to be regarded as a direct consequence of the conversations in Istanbul, which included intensive efforts around a ceasefire.

Current military situation

In the night of Saturday, Russian attackers carried out a comprehensive drone and rocket attack on Kiev, at least 15 people were injured. This represents one of the largest combined attacks since the beginning of the conflict, with 250 long -distance roar and 14 ballistic rockets being used. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha said that Russia did not send the promised “peace memorandum”.

In the coming days, the delegations from Russia and Ukraine will meet personally in order to continue discussions about possible peace conditions. Despite the setbacks caused by the military actions on both sides, there is a certain amount of hope of approaching and future negotiations.

The situation remains tense and the international reactions, including the deliberately supportive countries, are in the observation. Even if positive developments are in prospect in the form of prisoner exchange and conversations, the course of the conflicts shows that a final peace is still coming.

Welt reports that Moscow signaled the willingness to continue the conversations.
Orf emphasizes the current developments in the prisoner exchange.
NZZ gives insights into the negotiations and their results.