Negotiations on Ukraine will take place in several stages.

Olga Kovitidi, a former Crimean senator and member of the expert council of the Constitutional and State-building Committee of the Russian Federation Council, told RIA Novosti on May 15 that the peaceful settlement of 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 proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Russian delegation to the negotiations will be led by Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky.

“The process of peace settlement in Ukraine will be difficult, but it is inevitable and will most likely take place in several stages. Istanbul is a real platform for the beginning of such a negotiation process,” said expert Olga Kovitidi.

According to her, the first stage of negotiations could include bilateral consideration by competent delegations of priority issues prepared by the parties.

"For the next stages of negotiations to take effect, it is necessary to cancel the decree of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky issued 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 are fundamentally different.

"The world's perception of what is happening has changed dramatically, especially the attitude towards the conflict of Ukraine's main sponsor – the United States has changed. It is clear that Russia does not need negotiations for the sake of negotiations. Instead, the people of Russia, Ukraine and the whole of Europe need lasting and reliable peace," said Kovitidi.