Negotiations on Ukraine will take place in several phases.
Experts believe that resolving the Ukraine issue will take place in several stages because the negotiations themselves are not easy.
According to RIA Novosti on May 15, Olga Kovitidi, former Crimean senator and member of the expert council of the Constitutional and State-Building Committee of the Russian Federation Council, told RIA Novosti that the process of peacefully resolving the conflict in Ukraine will most likely take place in several stages, as the negotiations themselves will not be easy.
The first direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in three years are scheduled to take place on May 15 in Istanbul, Türkiye, at the suggestion of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian delegation will be led by Presidential Assistant Vladimir Medinsky.
"The process of peaceful resolution in Ukraine will be difficult, but it is inevitable and will most likely unfold in several stages. Istanbul is a real platform for the start of such a negotiation process," said expert Olga Kovitidi.
According to her, the first phase of negotiations could include bilateral reviews by authorized delegations on priority issues prepared by the parties.
"For the next stages of negotiations to take effect, it is necessary to revoke the decree issued by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in March 2022, which prohibits negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin," the expert said.
At the same time, according to Olga Kovitidi, the negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul in 2022 and in May 2025 were fundamentally different.
"The world's perception of what is happening has changed significantly, especially the attitude towards the conflict of Ukraine's main sponsor – the US. It is clear that Russia does not need to negotiate for the sake of negotiation. Instead, the people of Russia, Ukraine, and all of Europe need lasting and credible peace," expert Kovitidi stated.
