Russia needs to stop playing with diplomacy and end the war — Zelenskyy
It is unknown what the Russians are going to Istanbul with, — Zelenskyy
The Head of State said that Ukraine is currently preparing for new diplomatic steps together with partners in Europe and the United States. In particular, the Ukrainian side is in daily contact with everyone "who can make diplomacy meaningful."
As of now, there is no clear information about what the Russians are planning to do in Istanbul. We don't have it, Turkey doesn't have it, the United States doesn't have it, and neither do other partners. And so far, it doesn't look very serious.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
President of Ukraine
Zelenskyy added that he spoke about this issue yesterday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He stressed that everyone in the world wants diplomacy to work and a ceasefire to be achieved in Ukraine.
Everyone wants Russia to stop playing with diplomacy and end the war. Everyone wants a serious peace, and Russia should go for it. That is what the agenda of the meetings should be. We have given our agenda.
The President of Ukraine also expressed hope that the US "will be decisive on the issue of sanctions to help peace."
Recall that direct negotiations between Ukraine and the Russian Federation on ending the war took place in Istanbul on May 16. During this meeting, the parties agreed to exchange prisoners in a 1,000-for-1,000 format (which has already been done), as well as to present their options for a possible ceasefire.
Ukraine is ready for further negotiations with Russia. However, before the meeting, it wants to receive a so-called "memorandum" from Moscow about a possible ceasefire.
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