Kyiv and Moscow negotiate in Istanbul, Trump says he will "arrange" a meeting with the Russian president as soon as possible.

The Russians and Ukrainians began negotiations in Istanbul on Friday. Trump said on Friday in Abu Dhabi that he would "arrange" a meeting with the Russian president as soon as possible. The Turks called for an immediate ceasefire.

The talks were mediated by Turkey. Ankara called for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine during the talks on Friday. Turkish Foreign Minister Cavusoglu said, "It is crucial to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible."

Negotiators from both sides

A Ukrainian diplomatic source told AFP on Friday that the Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem-Umerov would negotiate direct talks between President Zelenskyy of Ukraine and President Putin of Russia at Dolmabahce Palace.

The Ukrainian delegation is led by Defense Minister Umerov, who has served as defense minister since 2023 and is a well-known figure in the Crimean Tatar community, known for his negotiation skills.

The Russian delegation is led by Putin's advisor and former Culture Minister Medinsky. According to AFP, this person is also a historian with nationalist views.

Russian official position:

Russia bans Ukraine from joining NATO, saying that NATO expansion to its borders will threaten Russia's national security.

Moscow also claims sovereignty over the four regions it annexed in southern and eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, as well as Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.

In late March, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that for the conflict to be resolved, the international community must "recognize" Moscow's ownership of these territories.

Moscow particularly calls on the West to stop providing weapons to Ukraine and put aside Ukraine's extreme nationalist groups.

In late March, Vladimir Putin also proposed the idea of establishing a "transitional government" in Ukraine under the auspices of the United Nations, which means Volodymyr Zelenskyy will leave Ukraine.

Putin does not consider Mr. Zelenskyy to be a legitimate president, believing that his five-year term ended in May 2024, although elections could not be held due to the war. Moscow also considers the Maidan Revolution in Kiev in 2014, which led to the pro-Western authorities taking power in Ukraine, to be a "coup" against the then pro-Russian president.

Ukrainian official position:

Ukraine continues to demand the complete withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory, including Crimea. Zelenskyy publicly insists that Kyiv will not give up the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Moscow in 2014 and is predominantly Russian-speaking, because the Ukrainian constitution clearly stipulates that it is part of Ukrainian territory.

Since 2014, the Ukrainian people have made great sacrifices in personnel and suffered severe material damage to retain the borders established when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.

Zelenskyy once mentioned using the regions occupied by Russia near Kursk for territorial "exchange," but Russian troops, with the participation of North Korean forces, recaptured the region in late April this year.

Europe, NATO, China

Europe and Kyiv call for a ceasefire before any talks between Kyiv and Moscow. But Putin rejected this demand, arguing that a long-term ceasefire would allow the Ukrainian army to strengthen itself by receiving Western weapons, while Russian soldiers are gaining the upper hand on the front lines.

On the same day, EU foreign affairs chief Kaya Kalas expressed regret over Russia's "lack of desire for peace." NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte considered Moscow sending a "secondary" team to negotiate in Istanbul to be a "huge mistake."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to "increase pressure" on Russia. A French diplomat said, "It is important to achieve an immediate and unconditional ceasefire."

China reiterated its hope for a "fair" and "lasting" peace agreement.

Fighting continued locally. The Kherson (south) municipal authorities announced on Friday that one person died in a Russian bombing.

Source: rfi

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1832280630676484/

Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's personal views.