Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed that a Russian delegation will be in Istanbul on May 15 for direct peace talks with Ukraine. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Putin’s foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov will likely represent Russia.
The move follows Ukraine's ratification of the minerals agreement, deepening U.S.-Ukraine economic ties and signaling expanded U.S. involvement in Ukraine's long-term recovery.
"Ukraine has initiated a coordinated campaign to vilify Hungary in order to undermine our initiative to hold a poll on (Kyiv's) EU membership," Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that further concessions from Ukraine during negotiations would be unreasonable if Russia continues to attack civilian targets.
U.S. President Donald Trump's special envoys, Steve Witkoff and Keith Kellogg, will travel to Istanbul for possible peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Reuters reported on May 13, citing three undisclosed sources.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said he will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara, but said both leaders are ready to fly to Istanbul if Russian President Vladimir Putin chooses to attend the talks there.
A captive named Umit allegedly agreed to serve in the Russian army in exchange for Russian citizenship and a monetary reward of 2 million rubles ($25,000).
Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov walks after a meeting with African leaders at the Konstantin Palace in Strelna on June 17, 2023, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Contributor/Getty Images)
The Kremlin remains willing to engage with the U.S. despite reports that President Donald Trump is "very angry" over Russian President Vladimir Putin's latest remarks on Ukraine, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on March 31.
The statement follows reports that Trump was "pissed off" over Putin's fixation on President Volodymyr Zelensky's legitimacy, NBC News reported on March 30.
In a call with NBC journalist Kristen Welker, Trump said that Putin's latest demand for a transitional government in Ukraine to replace Zelensky suggests that peace talks are "not going in the right location."
Peskov downplayed the reports, claiming Trump's comments were paraphrased rather than direct quotes. He also reiterated that Putin remains open to dialogue with Washington.
"We are working on implementing some ideas related to the Ukrainian settlement. This work is underway. So far, there are no specifics that we could and should have informed you about," Peskov added, as pro-government outlet Interfax reported.
Moscow rejected a full 30-day truce agreed upon by the U.S. and Ukraine in Jeddah on March 11, demanding conditions that would weaken Kyiv's defenses, such as a halt to foreign military aid.
Although Washington mediated a partial ceasefire in March, Russia targeted energy infrastructure in Kherson on March 27, despite earlier claims that it was adhering to a moratorium on such strikes since March 18.
Trump has floated measures such as additional sanctions and tariffs on Russian oil but has yet to take concrete steps to pressure Moscow.
Instead, the U.S. president has largely focused his leverage on Ukraine and Zelensky, already cutting off U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing once.
Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent. Based in Warsaw, he is pursuing studies in International Relations, focusing on European Studies. Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa. After moving to Warsaw, he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA, starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor.
