Putin Agrees to Engage in Ukraine Talks

(MENAFN) Russian leader Vladimir Putin is open to engaging in top-tier discussions regarding Ukraine, though a tangible agreement must first emerge from face-to-face conversations between negotiating teams, Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov stated Friday, as reported by Russian government-affiliated outlets.

"President Putin supports the possibility of a personal meeting with both (Ukrainian) President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy and (US) President (Donald) Trump, but such contacts require good preparation,” Peskov informed the press, according to a news agency.

He indicated that Moscow anticipates the Russian and Ukrainian preliminary documents will be reviewed during the second session of negotiations in Istanbul, though the specifics of Russia's position will remain confidential for now.

Regarding larger strategic matters, Peskov underlined that “the future of European security must be discussed with Europeans,” and clarified that the Istanbul gathering will focus solely on Russia-Ukraine bilateral dialogue.

Peskov also remarked that the Kremlin values recent signs suggesting that the U.S. is beginning to acknowledge Moscow’s apprehensions over NATO’s expansion, especially in its intermediary capacity.

The follow-up peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine are scheduled for June 2 in Istanbul, following an earlier meeting that involved a prisoner exchange and preliminary talks on a possible truce.

On May 16, both countries convened for their first one-on-one dialogue in three years in the Turkish city, where they notably consented to a significant prisoner swap involving 1,000 individuals from each nation.

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