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Ukrainian and Russian officials have agreed to hold another round of peace talks tomorrow in Turkey.
Getting into it: The talks mark the third round of direct negotiations between Ukraine and Russia this year and come amid Russia’s ongoing summer offensive (that is causing a significant number of casualties on both sides). Leading the Ukrainian delegation will be Rustem Umerov, the recently appointed Secretary of Ukraine’sNational Security and Defense Council, accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukrainianintelligence, and the President’s Office. As of the writing of this article, Russia has not revealed who will be leading theirdelegation.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has stated that the key priorities for Ukraine in these discussions are the return of prisoners of war, the repatriation of children who were forcibly taken to Russia, and the arrangement of a direct meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the Russian side, Russia has tempered expectations ahead of the meeting, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov saying that no “miraculous breakthrough” is anticipated.
Russia is expected to reiterate its core demands during the talks, which include international recognition of its annexation of Crimea and four additional Ukrainian regions—Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson—as well as the disarmament of Ukraine’s military, legal guarantees of Ukraine’s neutrality (including no NATO membership), and restrictions on Ukraine’s political, linguistic, and religious frameworks.
Ukrainian officials have strongly rejected these conditions, labeling them as unacceptable and unrealistic with Ukraine’s national sovereignty. Kyiv has particularly objected to Russia’s demand to dictate Ukraine’s internal policies and territorial integrity, arguing that any peace must begin with a complete and unconditional ceasefire and the withdrawal of Russian forces.
