The Russian delegation brought documents from the 2022 talks with Ukraine to the negotiations in Istanbul on 16 May but threatened to increase the number of annexes fivefold, which would significantly escalate their demands.

Source: Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources familiar with the negotiations

Details: Sources told Ukrainska Pravda that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan had opened the talks, stating that they lay the groundwork for a future leader-level meeting.

Quote from a source: "The Russians allowed themselves to insult the Turkish side by saying they could stay at the talks if they wished to. As guests, they had no right to say that.

[Vladimir] Medinsky [Head of the Russian delegation in Istanbul] did most of the talking, speaking at length and with defiance, making manipulative historical references. He brought the papers from the 2022 negotiations with him and applied pressure by saying, 'You see, there are 17 pages, including annexes, but the situation has changed so much in recent years that there could now be 85 pages'. Such blackmail has not impressed anyone."

Details: Ukrainska Pravda sources confirmed foreign media reports indicating that at the meeting, Russia claimed that it "can fight indefinitely" and that "Ukraine needs to withdraw from Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts".

At one point, the Russian delegation raised the issue of Ukraine's neutral status. They said it was important for the Kremlin not to allow any foreign contingents on Ukrainian soil.

Quote:"As 'arguments', Medinsky began to claim that they [the Russians] possessed NATO strategic documents indicating that the Alliance could launch an attack on Russian Federation territory in 2030. In response, the Ukrainian delegation emphasised that our side is also aware of the Kremlin's strategic plans to launch an attack on NATO members in the next few years.

Following this statement, the Russians became nervous and began to shift the subject in a different direction."

Background:

• On 16 May, direct talks were held in Istanbul between Russian and Ukrainian delegations for the first time in over three years.
• Following the meeting, Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umierov said the discussions had covered the ceasefire, humanitarian issues and a potential leader-level meeting.
• Heorhii Tykhyi, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Istanbul that during the talks, "the Russian delegation made some remarks that we consider unacceptable". However, he refused to elaborate on the issue.

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