Russia Proposes Peace Talks and Memorandum Presentation to Ukraine on June 2 in Istanbul

Russia has suggested hosting the next round of peace negotiations with Ukraine on June 2 in Istanbul, according to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s statement on Wednesday.

«The Russian side has promptly prepared a relevant memorandum, as agreed, which outlines our stance on all key aspects necessary to effectively address the fundamental issues of the crisis,» he stated.

Lavrov noted that the Russian delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinskiy, is prepared to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian representatives and offer any needed explanations during the second round of resumed direct negotiations in Istanbul next Monday.

Medinskiy mentioned via the Telegram messaging app that he had reached out to Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov on Wednesday with suggestions about the date and location of the forthcoming meeting.

«I want to stress that we are fully prepared to engage in meaningful and detailed discussions on each aspect of the proposed ceasefire agreement right there on the spot,» he stated.

He also expressed his anticipation for a response from Ukraine, indicating that Russia’s delegation is ready to conduct face-to-face meetings with their Ukrainian counterparts in the coming days.

Additionally, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, mentioned that both Russia and Ukraine had agreed to prepare their proposals regarding «the modalities of settlement and a ceasefire» for discussion and exchange during the subsequent round of talks.

Faced with pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to bring an end to the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, delegates from both nations convened earlier this month in Istanbul, marking their first meeting since March 2022, shortly after Russia deployed troops to its neighbor.

Unfortunately, the negotiations did not result in any ceasefire agreement.

After a May 19 call with Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow is willing to collaborate with Ukraine on a memorandum concerning a future peace agreement.