Russian Delegation in Istanbul Has All Necessary Authority and Competence

The Russian delegation at the negotiations in Istanbul has all the necessary authority and competence, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation at the talks in Istanbul said.

"Our official delegation was approved by presidential decree. It possesses all the necessary competencies and authority to conduct negotiations,” he said.

Medinsky made this statement in response to comments by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who questioned whether the Russian delegation in Istanbul had the mandate to make decisions. Zelensky described the Russian delegation as "theatrical.” According to him, the Ukrainian side needed to assess the level of the Russian negotiation team before the talks could begin.

On the evening of May 14, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the composition of the delegation for the negotiations in Istanbul. It is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Other members of the team include Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, and Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (formerly known as the GRU), Igor Kostyukov.