President Volodymyr Zelensky met with high officers on Could 19 to judge the result of Ukraine-Russia negotiations held in Istanbul final week, the president introduced on Telegram.
The Istanbul talks marked the primary direct encounter between Ukrainian and Russian delegations since 2022. The assembly befell hours earlier than a scheduled cellphone name between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Protection Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Ukraine's delegation in Turkey, briefed Zelensky on the dialogue.
"The conferences on Could 15–16 demonstrated to the world our readiness to carry peace nearer and, accordingly, the necessity to put stress on Russia to finish the battle," Zelensky wrote.
The Russian delegation on the peace talks consisted solely of lower-ranking officers, regardless of the Kremlin proposing the discussions.
Zelensky mentioned essentially the most tangible results of the talks was an settlement to trade 1,000 prisoners of battle (POWs) from all sides. Ukraine's Safety Service (SBU) has already begun preparatory steps to facilitate the switch.
"The Ukrainian delegation managed to maintain the dialog inside an honest framework. All makes an attempt of Russian threats have been rejected," Zelensky added.
"Ukraine insists on the necessity for an entire and unconditional ceasefire to save lots of lives and to offer the mandatory foundation for diplomacy."
A supply within the President's Workplace instructed the Kyiv Unbiased on Could 16 that Russia's delegation pushed Kyiv to withdraw from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts — all of which Moscow claimed to annex in 2022, although it doesn’t totally management any of them.
Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us 
Ukraine accepted a U.S.-proposed 30-day unconditional ceasefire in March and has reiterated that it stays open to a leaders-level assembly to deal with key points.
"We’re prepared for this. Ukraine will not be afraid of direct negotiations with Russia," Zelensky added.
He additionally introduced the formation of a "everlasting expanded nationwide negotiating group" to work alongside worldwide companions, whom he thanked for his or her assist.
Regardless of requires diplomacy, Russia escalated its assaults over the weekend, together with the battle's largest drone assault on Could 18, when 273 drones entered Ukrainian airspace. The identical day, Zelensky met with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Vatican to debate sanctions, diplomacy, and battlefield coordination.
President Trump, who has resisted imposing new sanctions on Moscow to this point, is scheduled to talk with Putin on Could 19. He has mentioned he’ll observe up with calls to Zelensky and NATO leaders.
"Hopefully it will likely be a productive day, a ceasefire will happen, and this very violent battle — a battle that ought to have by no means occurred — will finish," Trump wrote on Fact Social on Could 17.
The Kyiv IndependentAnna Fratsyvir