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Russia suggests new peace talks with Ukraine to be scheduled in Istanbul

By Washington Examiner Staff May 29, 2025 | updated 2 months ago

Russia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergey Lavrov, suggested on Wednesday that a new round of peace talks be held to end the war in Ukraine. 

Lavrov proposed holding talks in Istanbul, Turkey, on June 2. He emphasized his country’s previous demands specified in the earlier negotiations held in Istanbul on May 16, according to The Kyiv Independent.

“In Istanbul, it was agreed that Moscow and Kyiv would prepare documents setting out the positions of each side to reach a sustainable resolution,” said Lavrov. “The Russian side, as agreed, promptly drafted a corresponding memorandum, which lays out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis.”

Lavrov also said that he spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the phone on Wednesday about reaching an agreement to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The Kyiv Independent reported that Russia’s foreign minister reiterated that no deal would be considered without committing to NATO halting eastward expansion, which would prevent Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova from ever entering the alliance. The demands also included the removal of current sanctions on Russia by Western countries, unfreezing Russian assets, and protecting “Russian-speaking Ukrainians.”

Rubio and Lavrov also briefly discussed the prisoner exchange between the two countries. The secretary of state also relayed President Donald Trump’s desire to conclude the war while engaging in “good faith dialogue.”

Tammy Bruce, spokeswoman for the State Department, released a statement regarding the conversation between Lavrov and Rubio. 

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.  Secretary Rubio welcomed Russia and Ukraine’s exchange of ‘1,000-for-1,000’ prisoners over the weekend,” Bruce said. “The Secretary reiterated President Trump’s calls for constructive, good faith dialogue with Ukraine as the only path to ending this war.”

Pertaining to potential peace negotiations, Lavrov expressed gratitude to Turkey, the U.S., and Saudi Arabia for facilitating discussions to end the war.

RUSSIAN AND US OFFICIALS RATCHET UP RHETORIC AS PROGRESS ON PEACE STALLS

“With the support of the United States, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, it was possible to create conditions for the resumption of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations,” he said.

According to reports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has not responded to the request yet, and it is unknown if he will agree to the June 2 meeting.

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