Delegations of Russia, Ukraine start meeting in Istanbul

ISTANBUL -- Delegations of Russia and Ukraine have started their meeting in Turkiye's Istanbul on Friday, televised footage showed.

In his opening remarks ahead of the closed-door session, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan highlighted the meeting's significance, calling it "the first direct high-level contact between the parties since March 2022."

He urged the delegations to seize the opportunity to advance on the path to peace, noting that "Russia and Ukraine's readiness to engage in direct talks has made this critical phase possible."

The minister also stressed that the talks would lay the groundwork for a future leaders' summit, adding, "We sincerely believe that achieving peace is possible."

According to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, the Russian delegation, led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, included Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexandr Fomin.

The Ukrainian delegation included Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, Deputy Director of the Security Service of Ukraine Oleksandr Poklad, and First Deputy Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Oleh Luhovskyi.

The Istanbul talks follow a proposal by Putin on Sunday to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine. Zelensky has previously said he is open to a face-to-face meeting with Putin. However, the Kremlin said Putin would not attend the talks.

The last direct talks between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul in March 2022, where the two sides failed to agree to halt the fighting.