Medinsky: Russia is ready for negotiations, Ukraine's response is expected

The peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have once again come into the spotlight. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to the Russian president and the head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Istanbul, said that the Ukrainian side will be offered a new date and place for the meeting in the coming days.

His statement was published on Telegram after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of dragging out the negotiations. According to Zelensky, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov called Medinsky and expected Moscow to announce its position on the ceasefire soon.

“But we have not received any concrete answer. The US is also still waiting for an answer. Maybe it is time to move on to more serious actions, rather than waiting,” Zelensky said.

In response, Medinsky gave the opposite information. According to him, it was he who called Rustem Umerov and offered a specific date and place for the meeting to exchange a memorandum with the conditions for the cessation of hostilities.

— We are ready to resume the negotiations right here, right away. The Ukrainian side has gone to consultations. Perhaps the meeting is being extended. We are waiting for their official confirmation and are ready to meet in person on the agreed dates, — said Medinsky.

It should be recalled that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations had previously agreed at a meeting in Istanbul to resume negotiations once the documents on the conditions for a ceasefire are ready. On May 26, US President's special representative Keith Kellogg announced that the Ukrainian side had submitted its list of conditions to Washington.

So far, neither side has announced a specific date for the meeting. However, in the coming days, active actions may be observed on the diplomatic front. Any negotiations can only be fruitful on the basis of mutual trust and concrete actions. The Russian side is waiting for a response, while Ukraine has not yet officially responded to the proposals.