Ukraine asks Russia to hold new round of talks next week
After two rounds of talks in Istanbul, a third round of talks between Ukraine and Russia is scheduled to be held next week.
According to RIA Novosti, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) of Ukraine Rustem Umerov has proposed that Russia hold another meeting of the negotiating teams next week.
"Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Umerov reported that he has offered the Russian side a new round of negotiations next week," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on his Telegram channel.
A source in the Russian negotiating team confirmed this information to RIA Novosti. According to the source, Moscow has been ready for a long time, and now signals from Kiev allow us to hope that the day of negotiations will come soon.
Russia and Ukraine held two rounds of talks in Istanbul, Türkiye. The results of these talks were limited to the exchange of prisoners, the transfer of bodies of the dead soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to Ukraine. Moscow and Kiev also exchanged draft memoranda on the settlement of the conflict.
Earlier, on July 17, Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, answering a question from TASS, noted that Russia expects proposals from Ukraine in the third round of negotiations. He added that the implementation of previous agreements continues, but then Kiev will have to decide.
The official spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that the negotiations are “hanging in the balance on the Ukrainian side”, either Kiev is avoiding or has not decided on a date for a new round of negotiations.
Ms. Zakharova stressed that the Russian delegation is ready to go to Istanbul to participate in the third round of negotiations with the Ukrainian side, noting that they have not received any signals about Ukraine's readiness for a new round of negotiations. The representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed hope that Kiev will act in the spirit of the agreements reached "and continue the negotiation process."