[Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks: "Everything is Ready"]
On June 2, Kyslytsia, a member of the Ukrainian negotiation delegation and deputy foreign minister, posted relevant photos on X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "Everything is ready."
Just like the first round of negotiations on May 16, this meeting will also be held at the Ciragan Palace under the coordination of the Turkish side. Oleksandr Shevchenko, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, told the media that the Ukrainian delegation had arrived in Istanbul on June 2, with the negotiations planned to begin after lunch. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said that the talks were expected to start at 1 p.m. Kiev time.
This morning, Deputy Foreign Minister Kyslytsia and Mykhailo Podolyak, special advisor to the Ukrainian President's Office, held meetings with representatives from Germany, Italy, and the UK to coordinate positions ahead of the Ukraine-Russia negotiations.
Before attending the Bucharest Nine Countries Summit today, Zelenskyy stated that although he was not sure whether the Russian side was prepared for productive negotiations, Ukraine's core demands were a ceasefire and the return of children "kidnapped" by Russia. He emphasized that if the Russian side undermined the foundation of the negotiation agenda (ceasefire, prisoner exchange, child return), new severe sanctions against Russia must be imposed immediately.
Previously, Zelenskyy had approved the list of the Ukrainian negotiation delegation, led by Defense Minister Umurov. The members include presidential office advisor Bevz, deputy chief of staff of the navy Jakov, deputy foreign minister Kyslytsia, deputy director of the defense ministry intelligence bureau Skibitsky, deputy director of the security bureau Pokrad, first deputy director of the foreign intelligence bureau Lugovsky, and deputy chief of staff of the armed forces Shevchenko, among others.
The Russian delegation is still led by Presidential Assistant Mekhlini.
It has been revealed that Ukraine has fulfilled its commitment from the first round of negotiations on May 16 and submitted a document containing ceasefire conditions to the Russian side, but the Russian side has delayed its response. In his speech on the evening of June 1, Zelenskyy said that the Russian side "has not yet submitted any memorandum to either party," and neither the Ukrainian side, the Turkish side, nor the American side has received the relevant text.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1833818183770112/
Disclaimer: This article represents only the views of the author.