Kremlin: Russian delegation on way to Istanbul for talks with Ukraine

The Russian delegation has departed for Istanbul for a new round of negotiations with Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday.

The talks are scheduled to begin at 7 pm (1600 GMT) at the Ciragan Palace Hotel, sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said.

“Of course, it will be a very difficult conversation,” Peskov said, according to the TASS news agency.

The talks will focus on continuing prisoner exchanges, though other issues could also be discussed if needed, he said.

Russia’s delegation will once again be led by presidential adviser and former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the meeting earlier this week but tempered expectations. He said Kiev’s priority was expanding prisoner exchanges and the return of children who were abducted by Russia from occupied territories.

Ukraine’s chief negotiator will once again be Rustem Umerov, former defence minister and newly appointed secretary of the National Security and Defence Council.

Moscow and Kiev resumed direct talks in May for the first time since 2022. A breakthrough toward a ceasefire during this third round of negotiations is considered unlikely. Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine for more than three years.