Zelenskyy assembles delegation for fresh peace talks with Russia in Türkiye

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has tasked his team with preparing for a new round of negotiations with Russia, announcing the decision via his Telegram channel following consultations with Rustem Umerov, Secretary of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC) and former Defence Minister, as well as Andriy Yermak, Head of the Presidential Office.

According to the presidential decree, the Ukrainian delegation will comprise 14 members representing the Presidential Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), and the Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

The delegation will be led by Rustem Umerov, who headed the Ukrainian negotiating team during previous rounds. Umerov served as Defence Minister until last week, when Zelenskyy appointed him as NSDC Secretary. Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv intends to discuss prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian children, and the possibility of arranging a presidential-level meeting with Moscow.

Russia and Ukraine last held talks in March 2022 in Istanbul after several prior meetings in Belarus. Although a draft joint document was prepared at that time, the negotiations were soon suspended and remained frozen for three years. Talks only resumed in May 2025, when delegations met in person at the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul and reached an agreement on a prisoner exchange. A second round was held on June 2 at the Çırağan Palace, where the two sides exchanged draft ceasefire memorandums and agreed on a new prisoner swap operation. Zelenskyy had previously made it clear that a third round of talks would be possible only after full implementation of the earlier agreements.

Russian officials had earlier signalled their readiness to proceed with a third round of negotiations during the week following June 22. However, on July 17, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow had not yet received any confirmation from Kyiv regarding the next meeting. On July 18, Zelenskyy said he had met with Umerov and instructed him to “intensify the negotiation track,” a move that the Kremlin described as a positive signal.

According to Zelenskyy, the next in-person meeting between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Türkiye is planned for July 23. A TASS source indicated that while the delegations are expected to arrive in Istanbul on that date, the talks themselves are scheduled for July 24. RIA Novosti reported that the negotiations may span July 24–25, while the Turkish edition of the Independent suggested that the meeting could take place either on July 23 or 24. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, “As soon as there is final clarity on the dates, we will inform [the public].”

The Kremlin also confirmed that the composition of the Russian delegation will remain unchanged. As in previous rounds, the delegation will be headed by Russian Presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Russian authorities emphasised that the negotiators are facing “a significant diplomatic task,” given the stark differences between the sides’ proposed settlement memorandums.