On 15 May, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the Ukrainian delegation for talks with Russia in Istanbul on achieving a just and lasting peace.

Source : Zelenskyy’s decree No. 306/2025 on the website of the Office of the President, as reported by European Pravda

Details : As announced, the delegation for negotiations with the Russian Federation will be headed by Defence Minister Rustem Umierov. It also includes:

• Serhii Kyslytsia, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine;
• Oleksandr Poklad, Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine;
• Oleh Luhovskyi, First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service;
• Oleksii Shevchenko, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Vadym Skibitskyi, Deputy Head of Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence;
• Yevhen Shynkarov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force Command;
• Oleksandr Diakov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces of Ukraine;
• Oleksii Malovatskyi, Head of the International and Operational Law Department of the Central Legal Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Oleksandr Sherikhov, senior officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Heorhii Kuzmychov, protocol officer of the Office for Ensuring the Operational Activities of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine;
• Oleksandr Bevz, advisor to the Head of the Office of the President.

Zelensky's decree also stipulates that the delegation head may, in agreement with him, change the delegation's composition and approve secret negotiating directives.

Background :

• Zelenskyy went to Ankara, awaiting the arrival of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.
• However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin will not go to Istanbul for talks with the Ukrainian delegation. Instead, Russia sent a low-level delegation headed by Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky.
• In view of this, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio sees no chance of a breakthrough in the talks between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul.

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