Russia-Ukraine Talks in Istanbul End Without Handshakes

The negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations aimed at resolving the ongoing conflict have concluded in Istanbul, RIA Novosti said citing diplomatic sources.

"The meeting of the delegations has concluded," the source told the agency at 3:20 PM Moscow time.

 The talks lasted nearly two hours and were held behind closed doors.

According to sources, the Russian delegation has temporarily left the negotiating room, but it remains unclear whether the officials are going to depart Turkey today.

The delegations of Russia and Ukraine have not decided whether they will continue the negotiations in Istanbul, TASS said with reference to its source.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he might speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin following the bilateral talks in Istanbul. Trump also expressed hope for a direct meeting with the Russian leader in the near future.

The meeting opened with welcoming remarks from Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who emphasized that a peaceful resolution is the only viable way out of the crisis. Fidan reportedly remained in the room after his opening statement.

Ukrainian Delegation Used Interpreter to Talk to Russian Side

Sources from the Ukrainian negotiating team told the We Are Ukraine television channel that the Ukrainian delegation was communicating with the Russian side via interpreter. However, RT, citing a separate source, reported that although Ukraine brought its own interpreter, the talks were conducted in Russian.

Background and Context

The direct talks between Moscow and Kyiv began at around 13:35 Moscow time and proceeded without any ceremonial handshakes.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had earlier proposed the resumption of direct contact with Ukraine as a means of "eliminating the root causes of the conflict." However, the Kremlin ruled out his personal participation in today’s negotiations. The meeting was originally scheduled for May 15, but was postponed to May 16.

The current talks mark the most direct engagement between the two sides in recent years, amid hopes for de-escalation and potential ceasefire groundwork.

Details

Istanbul is the largest city in Turkey, straddling the Bosporus Strait, the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is considered the country's economic, cultural and historic capital. The city has a population of over 15 million residents, comprising 19% of the population of Turkey, and is the most populous city in Europe and the world's 17th-most populous city. The city was founded as Byzantium in the 7th century BCE by Greek settlers from Megara. In 330 CE, the Roman emperor Constantine the Great made it his imperial capital, renaming it first as New Rome (Ancient Greek: Νέα Ῥώμη Nea Rhomē; Latin: Nova Roma) and then finally as Constantinople (Constantinopolis) after himself. In 1930, the city's name was officially changed to Istanbul, the Turkish rendering of εἰς τὴν Πόλιν eis tḕn Pólin 'to the City', the appellation Greek speakers used since the 11th century to colloquially refer to the city.