Kremlin: Istanbul delegation to be named when Putin decides

The composition of Russia’s delegation for potential peace talks in Istanbul will be disclosed once President Vladimir Putin makes a final decision, the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“No, as soon as the president deems it appropriate, we will announce it,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Putin last week called for a resumption of direct negotiations with Kyiv “without preconditions,” suggesting they could begin on May 15 in Istanbul. Talks between Russia and Ukraine stalled in 2022.

Speaking to journalists at the Kremlin in the early hours of May 11, Putin claimed that previous Russian ceasefires had been repeatedly violated by what he referred to as the “Kyiv regime,” including a recent three-day truce declared during the 80th anniversary commemorations of the Soviet victory in World War II.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has since announced his intention to travel to the Turkish capital on May 15. His decision follows a statement by US President Donald Trump urging Ukraine to agree immediately to Putin’s proposal for talks.

Until recently, Zelenskyy had insisted on a 30-day ceasefire as a condition for entering negotiations with Moscow.

By Aghakazim Guliyev