According to RT, the statement was made by Vladimir Medinsky, advisor to Russian President Vladimir Putin and head of Moscow's negotiation delegation.
We are ready to resume the Istanbul dialogue. We are ready for the possibility of a trade-off, Medinsky told reporters while attending Dolmabahce Palace, where the negotiations are scheduled to take place on May 15.
He also emphasized: "We came here with a spirit of serious work" and said that the Russian delegation included many senior officials from key agencies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense and military intelligence.
Because the Russia-Ukraine talks were scheduled to take place on May 15, the Russian delegation waited for the Ukrainian delegation to arrive all day. However, by evening, President Zelensky had appointed a Ukrainian delegation, consisting of 12 representatives and led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
Head of the Russian negotiation delegation Vladimir Medinsky said that the Russian delegation will wait for Ukraine in Istanbul to negotiate at 10:00 on May 16 local time (14:00 on May 16, Vietnam time).
These negotiations are seen as a continuation of the process that was initiated in Istanbul in 2022, but were disrupted when Ukraine unilaterally withdrew. At that time, Russia withdrew troops from the Kiev area as a "trick", but later accused Ukraine of "turning around" and being affected by the West, especially former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to prolong the war.
Russian President Putin was not expected to participate directly, but proactively proposed resuming the dialogue, affirming the goal of "a sustainable solution, going to the core of the conflict". However, the Kremlin remains cautious, especially after the " repeated attacks" by Kiev in the past.
Sources from Turkey said that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations are also expected to hold sideline meetings with US representatives and host country Türkiye.
Meanwhile, international public opinion is still closely monitoring whether this is a real opportunity to end the conflict that has lasted for more than 3 years or just a new diplomatic test in the complex geopolitical game.
