Ukraine is going to Istanbul on June 2: Zelenskyy voiced Kyiv's positions
Ukraine will participate in negotiations with Russia in Istanbul on June 2, and Kyiv's positions include a complete and unconditional ceasefire, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced following a meeting with top officials.
The Head of State heard reports from the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, the General Staff, Intelligence, and the Security Service of Ukraine regarding defense, active operations, and diplomacy.
"We are doing everything to protect our independence, our state, and our people. I have set out the tasks for the near future. I have also set out positions before the meeting in Istanbul on Monday," the president said.
Zelenskyy voiced four points from Ukraine for Istanbul:
→ a complete and unconditional ceasefire;
→ release of prisoners;
→ return of abducted children;
→ preparation of a meeting at the highest level (this concerns a meeting between the head of Ukraine and dictator Vladimir Putin).
The latter is necessary in order to "establish a reliable and lasting peace and guarantee security," the head of state explained.
"Only leaders can solve key issues," Zelenskyy emphasized.
He also announced that the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, as before, will be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Earlier, the aggressor country announced that it would not change the composition of the delegation and that it would still be headed by Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky.
- The Kremlin promised to present a "memorandum" with its vision of steps towards a ceasefire immediately after the major prisoner exchange that ended on May 25, but has not yet done so. Meanwhile, Kyiv has already handed over its document to Moscow.
- Ukraine has consistently emphasized that in order to hold a meaningful meeting, it needs to receive a "memorandum" from Russia in advance, while the aggressor country wants to show the document directly at the meeting.
- On the evening of May 31, Zelenskyy reported that Ukraine and its partners still do not have clear information about what proposals the Russian delegation plans to bring to Istanbul.