Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that Ukraine will send representatives to a new round of direct talks with Russia in Istanbul on Monday. Zelensky announced on Sunday via X that Defence minister Rustem Umerov will lead the delegation. Meanwhile, fighting continues in both Russia and Ukraine.
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations previously met in mid-May in the Turkish capital, marking their first direct public contact since 2022. This led to a prisoner exchange and an agreement to outline the respective sides’ conditions for future peace negotiations, which are now expected to be discussed on Monday.
Key demands
Zelensky has reiterated his key demands for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, the release of all prisoners and the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. He also emphasised that the most critical issues could only be resolved at the highest level, and renewed his call for a meeting with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who has not yet responded.
Despite diplomatic efforts, the fighting shows no sign of abating. According to Ukraine’s military, at least twelve Ukrainian soldiers were killed and over sixty injured in a Russian missile strike on a training ground on Sunday.
Meanwhile, a source within Ukrainian security services told AFP that Ukraine had launched a ‘large-scale’ drone operation targeting Russian air force facilities.
