Russia confirms delegation lineup for June 2 talks with Ukraine
3 Min Read
The delegation will again be led by Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.
-
From left, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, Head of the Russian General Staff Main Directorate Igor Kostyukov and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin give an statement to journalists at the Russian consulate in Istanbul, Turkey, Ton Friday, May 16, 2025 (Ramil Sitdikov, Sputnik, Pool Photo via AP)
Russia has confirmed that it will send the same delegation to the upcoming round of direct negotiations with Ukraine, set to take place on June 2 in Istanbul.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova announced the decision during an interview on the "60 Minutes" program aired on Rossiya 1, stating, "The same Russian delegation, we proceed from this," in reference to the team’s unchanged composition.
The delegation will again be led by Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky and includes Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, and Military Intelligence Director Igor Kostyukov, according to state media.
Peace blueprint
Moscow is expected to present a comprehensive peace memorandum during the meeting. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov confirmed that the document outlines Russia’s position on key issues aimed at ending the war. "The Russian side, as agreed, has promptly developed a relevant memorandum, which sets out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis," Lavrov said on Wednesday.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the memorandum includes timelines for a ceasefire, conditions for Ukrainian neutrality, and restrictions on NATO expansion, particularly excluding Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova from future membership. Russia is also demanding partial sanctions relief, the unfreezing of assets, and protections for Russian-speaking populations in Ukraine.
Read more: Russian advance intensifies in Donbass as Sumy tensions rise
The June 2 meeting follows the May 16 round of talks, also held in Istanbul, which marked the first direct contact between Russian and Ukrainian officials since March 2022. That meeting led to the largest prisoner exchange of the war, with 1,000 detainees released, followed by a second exchange of 390 more on May 23. While seen as positive steps, those talks did not produce progress toward a ceasefire.
Talks uncertain
Ukraine has not yet publicly confirmed its participation in the June 2 session. Kiev and its Western allies maintain that a ceasefire must precede political negotiations and have rejected Russia’s conditions involving territorial concessions and NATO limitations.
Meanwhile, tensions continue to escalate as the US considers lifting restrictions on Ukraine’s use of American-supplied weapons to strike inside Russian territory, a move the Kremlin has condemned as a potential escalation that could undermine the talks.
Lavrov has praised Turkey’s role in facilitating the dialogue and called on international stakeholders to support the initiative. "Moscow expects those interested in the success of the peace process to support a new round of Russian-Ukrainian talks," he said.
