Delegations from Ukraine and Russia will meet again for negotiations in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul on Monday, June 2.

The first direct talks between the two countries since 2022 took place on May 16, but did not lead to any results other than the exchange of prisoners of war. The meeting lasted about 90 minutes, with Russia setting conditions for territorial concessions. It is unclear whether Moscow will present the so-called “memorandum” for peace tomorrow, as promised.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin rejected Turkey's proposal for a meeting between Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump under the auspices of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, making any such summit conditional on “results” in the negotiations with Kyiv.

Ahead of tomorrow's talks, the Ukrainian president called for “a complete and unconditional ceasefire and the return of prisoners and abducted children.” | BGNES