Zelensky Establishes Permanent Negotiation Team

(MENAFN) Ukraine's Leader Vladimir Zelensky has initiated the formation of a "permanent expanded national negotiating group" after the recent discussions between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, Türkiye.

This meeting, held last Friday, marked the first direct interaction between the two nations since 2022.

The dialogue followed a proposal by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who suggested the possibility of resuming peace talks without any preliminary conditions.

During the two-hour meeting, representatives from both countries reached agreements on several key matters.

These included organizing a large-scale prisoner exchange and outlining initial terms for a potential ceasefire.

They also discussed planning for a subsequent round of negotiations to further address ongoing issues.

Zelensky revealed the establishment of the "permanent expanded national negotiating group" through a message posted on his Telegram channel on Monday.

In his statement, he emphasized Ukraine's readiness for high-level meetings to tackle critical concerns, asserting that "Ukraine is not afraid of direct negotiations with Russia."

The Kremlin has indicated that it has not dismissed the possibility of direct talks between Putin and Zelensky, contingent on progress in the peace efforts and the establishment of concrete agreements.

On the same day, U.S. President Donald Trump had a phone conversation with Russian President Putin.

Trump later shared on the Truth Social platform that "Russia and Ukraine will immediately start negotiations toward a Ceasefire and, more importantly, an END to the War."

Putin, in response, expressed his appreciation to Washington for facilitating the renewal of direct discussions between the two countries.

He noted that both Moscow and Kiev must show a strong commitment to peace and work towards compromises that would be acceptable to all involved parties.

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