[Meaning of the Composition of the Ukrainian Delegation]

The BBC reported that on the evening of May 15, the Ukrainian side announced the list of the Ukrainian delegation participating in the Istanbul talks between Russia and Ukraine.

In the first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since 2022, the Ukrainian delegation was led by Defense Minister Umurov. He is the only member of the Ukrainian side who participated in the 2022 Istanbul negotiations (at that time as a member of parliament). The media said that Umurov fell ill after visiting Istanbul that year, with rumors circulating that he narrowly avoided being poisoned by Russian forces.

-- Umurov: Considered a skilled negotiator, proficient in English and Turkish, with close ties to political figures in the U.S. and Turkey, and having a strong relationship with Mejlis, the leader of the Crimean Tatars (whom Russia considers an extremist organization), which makes it difficult for him to accept the issue of Crimea belonging to Russia in negotiations.

-- Sergey Kyslytsya: First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, veteran diplomat, served as Ukraine's representative to the United Nations from 2019 to 2024, and has frequently clashed publicly with Russian representative Nebenja. Familiar with Russian foreign policy strategies.

-- Alexander Poklad: Deputy Director of the National Security Bureau, low-key but mythologized by Russian media, rumored to be involved in the assassination of former leader of the Donetsk puppet regime Zakharchenko and "Motorola," an armed fighter (the Ukrainian government has not acknowledged this), and once participated in the arrest of a former general of the Ukrainian Security Service accused of being a Russian spy.

-- Vadim Skipetsky: Deputy Director of the General Staff Intelligence Directorate, a "media-savvy" intelligence official second only to Director Budanov, skilled in information warfare. In 2024, he stated that Ukraine could not win solely on its own strength and believed that substantive negotiations would need to start no earlier than the second half of 2025.

-- Military Representatives: Including generals from the General Staff (Shevchenko), Air Force (Shenkarev), Navy (Yakov), and Operational Management Department (Sherihov), capable of professionally discussing battlefield situations, technical details of ceasefires, and military conditions.

-- Legal Expert: Head of the International and Operational Law Division of the Central Legal Administration of the General Staff, Marovatsky, may be responsible for the specific wording of negotiation texts.

-- President's Office Connection: Advisor Alexander Bevz is a core assistant to the Head of the Presidential Office, Yermak, and will directly report negotiation details to him.

The level of members in the Ukrainian delegation is higher than that of the Russian side, ensuring both practical implementation of ceasefire plans and "hardline" representatives in diplomacy and intelligence who can directly refute Russian narratives about "conflict origins" and "anti-Russian regimes."

Led by Crimean Tatar Umurov, it clearly excludes the possibility of recognizing Crimea as part of Russia; the overall composition shows no sign of compromising factions, indicating Ukraine's stance of refusing to repeat the negotiation framework of 2022.

The personnel configuration of the Ukrainian delegation reflects both pragmatic preparation for specific ceasefire agendas and sends a clear message of firm resistance to the core demands of the Russian side through their backgrounds.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832280822501388/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.