The opposite situation: a new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine may take place again in Istanbul

Negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine may continue in Istanbul, as neither side has expressed any complaints about this site, Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-large of the Russian Foreign Ministry, told Izvestia. The key issue of the dialogue between Moscow and Kiev is ensuring the security of the Russian Federation, the diplomat noted. Against this background, Washington says that the meeting of the presidents of Russia and the United States should take place "as soon as possible" — questions about the place and time of its holding are being resolved, and on May 19, the leaders will hold another telephone conversation. About where the negotiations between Moscow and Kiev can continue and how the dialogue between the presidents of Russia and the United States will affect this, see the Izvestia article.

Where will the next negotiations between Russia and Ukraine take place

The choice of a venue for negotiations with Kiev was Russia's initiative, said Rodion Miroshnik, the Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large for crimes committed by the Kiev regime.

— So far, there have been no complaints from either side about the possibility of holding talks in Istanbul as a neutral venue accessible to both sides. Therefore, there is a chance that the dialogue will continue there, but with the mutual desire of the parties, it can be placed elsewhere," the diplomat told Izvestia.

Rodion Miroshnik

Photo: RIA Novosti/Vitaly Belousov

The key issue of the negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine is ensuring Russia's security from Western influence through Ukrainian military capabilities.

— Therefore, without its settlement, it is unlikely that it will be possible to agree on achieving sustainable peace for a long period of time. Unfortunately, we don't see this in Ukrainian rhetoric right now. The main thing that Russia wants is security for its population and its statehood," Miroshnik stressed.

Step at the meeting: the results of the first negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in three years

The first round of contacts took place in Istanbul — what's next

One of the main agreements during the last round of direct negotiations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine was the agreement to exchange according to the "1000 for 1000" formula. According to Miroshnik, contacts in this area have already been worked out.

— The exchange agreements are not the first, they did not begin solely due to the resumption of the Istanbul format. Prior to this exchange, to date, since the beginning of the year alone, we have taken 596 children from Ukrainian captivity. Therefore, contacts have been worked out there, there is direct contact, there is the presence and complicity of individual international organizations and states, they are involved there. But there is a direct dialogue between the parties in this sense, and it did not start today," Miroshnik said.

Photo: IZVESTIA/Dmitry Korotaev

The first direct talks between Moscow and Kiev in three years took place on May 16 in Istanbul. On this day, delegations from four countries arrived in the city at once: Russia, the USA, Ukraine and Turkey. After the meeting in the USA–Ukraine–Turkey format, the long-awaited negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian representatives finally started. They lasted almost two hours and ended with the achievement of a number of agreements.

Perhaps the most important of them was the prisoner exchange. On the day of the talks, it also became known that Moscow and Kiev exchanged the bodies of dead servicemen. Russia handed over 909 bodies, Ukraine - 34. On the topic of a possible ceasefire, the parties agreed to present their vision of this process in detail.

"If the exchange takes place before the second round begins, Moscow and Kiev will need to look for new points of contact from which to build on and schedule new meetings," Tigran Meloyan, an analyst at the HSE Center for Mediterranean Studies, told Izvestia.

Photo: RIA Novosti/Stanislav Krasilnikov

Ukraine also requested direct talks between Vladimir Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, and Russia "took note of this request." The meeting is possible "precisely as a result of work and upon achieving certain results in the form of agreements between the two sides," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. He added: it is crucial for Moscow who will certify the agreements from Kiev.

When will the meeting between Putin and Trump take place

Donald Trump is also committed to dialogue with the Russian president. Back on May 15, he said that "nothing will happen" on the issue of resolving the Ukrainian conflict until his meeting with Putin takes place. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the issue of where and when negotiations will take place is being resolved, as well as possible topics of conversation are being discussed. The American side wants to hold it "as soon as possible." At the same time, on May 19, the leaders of the Russian Federation and the United States will talk by phone, Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary of the Russian president, confirmed.

Trump noted that he was going to discuss with his Russian counterpart the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine and trade issues. Following the conversation, he plans to talk with Zelensky and the leaders of NATO countries. This will be the third conversation between Putin and Trump since the Republican took office for a second term. They spoke for the first time on February 12, and the second conversation took place on March 18.

Photo: REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

Preparations for the conversation have already begun: on May 17, Secretary Rubio called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. They exchanged views on the results of the Russian-Ukrainian talks held in Istanbul the day before and agreed to continue contacts. Washington supported the agreements reached by Moscow and Kiev, including the exchange of prisoners. At the same time, the Secretary of State stressed that the United States is ready to continue to contribute to the settlement of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Season two: Can Russia and Ukraine move closer to peace at a meeting in Turkey

All interested parties are planning to gather in the republic under various pretexts this week.

Russia respects the national interests of the United States and expects that the interests of the Russian Federation will be treated accordingly, the Russian leader said. Vladimir Putin noted that Moscow considers the result of the special operation in Ukraine to be a long-term peace, ensuring its security and protecting the interests of Russian-speaking Ukrainians. At the same time, Russia has enough strength to complete its military operations with the outcome it needs, the head of state concluded.

The Russian Federation feels confident on the negotiating track, despite the increasing ultimatums and threats from the West. Moscow considers the current direct negotiations as one of the non-violent tools to achieve the goals of a special military operation. At the same time, Tigran Meloyan summarized, Russia is also demonstrating its willingness to continue to resolve issues of concern at the front if the necessary results are not achieved at the negotiating table.