In Istanbul, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha, and Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov held a meeting with Keith Kellogg, Special Envoy of the President of the United States; Jonathan Powell, National Security Adviser to the U.K. Prime Minister; Günter Sautter, Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to the Federal Chancellor of Germany; and Emmanuel Bonne, Diplomatic Adviser to the President of France.
The teams coordinated their positions ahead of the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations scheduled to take place today in Istanbul.
The Ukrainian delegation reaffirmed Ukraine’s commitment to peace efforts, emphasizing the constructive steps the country has taken in recent months and weeks. These include Ukraine’s readiness for a full and unconditional ceasefire, its willingness to engage in direct negotiations at the highest level, and the dispatch of the Ukrainian delegation to meet with Russian representatives in Istanbul.
The Head of the President’s Office stressed that the Ukrainian delegation came to Istanbul to work toward achieving a just peace. He specifically pointed out the low level and unclear mandate of the Russian representatives.
“Our top priority on the agenda is to reach a full and unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days. Yesterday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again confirmed his readiness for direct talks with Vladimir Putin, as a meeting with the person who makes all the decisions in Russia could lead to progress in the negotiations. Therefore, the key issue for the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul is to determine whether the Russians are genuinely prepared for a real ceasefire and for direct talks at the highest level,” he said.
Andriy Yermak added that achieving a full and lasting ceasefire and implementing confidence-building measures – such as the return of forcibly displaced Ukrainian children and civilians, and an “all-for-all” exchange of prisoners of war – are essential for the success of peace efforts.
The Ukrainian side thanked the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France for their support and leadership in advancing the peace process and emphasized the need for constructive steps toward peace from the Russian side.
The Ukrainian delegation expressed gratitude to Türkiye for providing a diplomatic platform for the negotiations and for playing an active role in promoting the peace process. It was noted that the Turkish side’s consistent efforts play an important role in creating the conditions for dialogue and identifying paths toward an enduring peace.