The Kremlin has announced that Russia anticipates discussing the conditions for a ceasefire with Ukraine during the upcoming talks scheduled to be held in Istanbul next week.
Russia proposed the second round of negotiations be held on June 2 in Istanbul. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the Russian delegation plans to arrive and be ready for discussions by Monday morning. He emphasized that all parties are currently focused on direct negotiations and that a list of conditions for a temporary truce is being drafted, though the details of this memorandum will remain confidential.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that Ukraine requires Russia to share its peace proposal before committing to send a delegation to Turkey.
This development comes amid ongoing concerns about NATO's expansion eastward. Earlier reports have indicated that a key condition put forth by Russia for ending the conflict includes a formal pledge from Western nations to halt NATO’s enlargement. The United States, through its envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, acknowledged Russia's apprehensions as fair while reiterating that the U.S. does not intend to include Ukraine in its military alliance.
Peskov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently communicated opposition to NATO’s expansion and welcomed the U.S.’s mediating efforts, suggesting a constructive role played by Washington in the negotiations.
The conflict began with Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, following years of clashes in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian forces.