Stand behind Ukrainian independent journalism when it’s needed most. Help us reach 20,000 members.

Skip to content
Edit post

Ukrainian delegates meet Kellogg, French, German, UK advisors before Istanbul talks

by Kateryna Denisova May 16, 2025 10:40 AM  (Updated: ) 2 min read
Defense Minister Rustem, Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak and Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha meeting with French, German, U.K., and U.S. officials in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. (Andriy Yermak/Telegram)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Editor's note: The story was updated with confirmation of the meeting and comments from Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak.

Presidential Office chief Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov met with French, German, U.K., and U.S. officials in Istanbul on May 16, Yermak said.

Ukrainian officials held talks with U.K. Prime Minister’s National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell, French President’s Diplomatic Advisor Emmanuel Bonne, German Chancellor’s Foreign and Security Policy Advisor Günter Sautter, as well as with U.S. Donald Trump's Special Envoy Keith Kellogg.

"Ukraine is ready for peace and for a lasting, unconditional ceasefire. We are also prepared for meetings and negotiations at the highest level," Yermak wrote on X.

The meeting took place ahead of the anticipated talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, with Turkish officials also expected to participate.

The meetings would mark the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since the unsuccessful peace talks in Istanbul in 2022.

After Moscow proposed to hold peace talks in Turkey this week, President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed and invited Russian President Vladimir Putin for a face-to-face meeting. The Russian leader declined to attend and appointed his aide, Vladimir Medinsky, who represented Russia at the 2022 negotiations, to lead the talks.

The Ukrainian delegation that arrived in Turkey on May 15 consisted of top Ukrainian officials, including Zelensky, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, representatives of the Presidential Office, the military, and intelligence agencies.

However, after a three-hour meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Zelensky announced that a smaller delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov would travel to Istanbul to discuss a potential ceasefire.

Kyiv and its partners have urged Moscow to adopt an unconditional 30-day ceasefire as the first step toward a broader peace deal, a move that Russia continues to reject.

‘It’s a mess’ — after all the hype, Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul descend into name-calling shambles
Istanbul — it’s where Asia meets Europe, but as we now know, not where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Independent journalism needs a community —
not a paywall.

We’re working hard to show the world the truth of Russia’s brutal war — and we’re keeping it free for everyone, because reliable information should be available to all.

Our goal: reach 20,000 members to prove independent journalism can survive without paywalls, billionaires, or compromise. Will you help us do it?

Can we reach 20,000 members?

News Feed

MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.