Moscow: Talks in Istanbul must be held first before talking about "peace"

Russian officials insist that direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul are the first step toward a lasting peace. This was stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Sunday, May 11.

Zakharova: “First, the root causes of the war must be discussed”

The state news agency TASS quoted Zakharova as saying:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear in his statement last night that the main and historical causes of the war against Ukraine must be discussed. Only then can peace talks be held.”

With this statement, Moscow indirectly responded to the proposal by Western countries and Ukraine for a 30-day ceasefire starting on May 12.

What did Putin say?

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed direct talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15 without any preconditions. He stressed that these negotiations should be held in order to “eliminate the root causes of the war” and “achieve a stable, long-term peace.”

Kremlin: “There are nuances”

In this regard, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously said:

“Russia is ready to cease fire indefinitely, but there are certain ‘nuances’. If they are taken into account, the situation may change.”

The West and Kiev had proposed a 30-day ceasefire

Let us recall that on May 10-11, the “Coalition of the Willing” summit was held in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, with the participation of French President Emmanuel Macron, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The initiative for a complete and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days starting on May 12 was put forward, and was also supported by US President Donald Trump.

The Zamin.uz editorial team always supports the advancement of diplomatic efforts to bring peace between Russia and Ukraine. The planned talks in Istanbul could become an important turning point in resolving the conflict through a political solution. Stay tuned for more news.

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