Zelenskyy Signals New Ukraine-Russia Talks in Istanbul on July 23
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Monday that preparations are underway for a new round of negotiations with the Russian delegation, tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, July 23, in Istanbul.
The Gaze reports this, referring to Zelenskyy's address.
The Ukrainian president stated that he had reviewed the agenda with National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov.
The meeting is expected to focus on a potential prisoner exchange and further confidence-building measures. Zelenskyy emphasized that more details would be shared in the coming days.
Meanwhile, at a joint press conference in Kyiv with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stressed that the Russian delegation must arrive with a clear mandate to engage in substantive discussions, particularly on achieving a ceasefire and ending the war.
“There was positive momentum following the previous two rounds of negotiations in Istanbul, especially in terms of prisoner swaps and the return of Ukrainian children,” said Sybiha. “That’s why this dialogue remains essential and should continue. Ukraine has never been, and will never be, an obstacle to peace. We are ready for a ceasefire and insist that any future discussions be focused, with Russia empowered to address the core issues.”
Sybiha also underscored that, so far, Ukraine has seen no indication that Russia is prepared to engage in talks at the necessary level of seriousness.
To that end, Kyiv has proposed holding high-level negotiations directly between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin, with the involvement of U.S. and Turkish presidents as well as key European leaders.
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