Istanbul: Ukraine explained why it wants to receive a "memorandum" from Russia in advance

Ukraine wants to receive a "memorandum" from Russia in advance so that the next meeting in Istanbul is meaningful. This was announced by Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha during a press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.

"We are interested in these meetings [in Istanbul] continuing because we want to end this war this year, and we are interested in establishing a ceasefire. Whether it's for 30 days, 50 days, or 100 days – Ukraine is open to discussing this directly with Russia. We confirmed this during the last meeting of our delegations with the Russian side," said Sybiha.

He emphasized that, following the results of the previous meeting in Istanbul, Ukraine had already conveyed to Russia its vision for further peace efforts, in particular regarding the parameters of the future ceasefire.

At the same time, Kyiv is waiting for Moscow to submit the relevant "memorandum" in advance – the Russian Federation promised this, in particular, to the United States, the Foreign Minister noted.

"In order for the next planned meeting to be substantive [essential] and objective, it is important to receive the document in advance. So that the delegation that will leave [to Istanbul] has the authority to discuss the relevant positions," the official explained.

• 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.
• On May 29, it became known that the next meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations could take place on June 2 in Istanbul. The composition of the Russian delegation will not change.
• On May 30, the head of the OP Yermak reported that Ukraine is ready to go to Istanbul for negotiations with Russia next week, but it is important for Kyiv to receive a "memorandum" from Moscow.