Kiev states Istanbul discussions format ‘exhausted itself’
(MENAFN) Ukraine’s First Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergey Kislitsa, stated that the Istanbul peace negotiation format between Kiev and Moscow has “virtually run its course” due to what he described as Russia’s extreme and inflexible demands.
Kislitsa, in an interview with the Kyiv Independent published Friday, claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is using the U.S.-supported talks to push for Ukraine’s surrender, rendering negotiations futile.
“Their mandate is capitulation. It goes beyond just being maximalist,” he argued.
Ukraine’s goals in the talks, according to Kislitsa, included establishing a ceasefire, laying groundwork for a potential meeting between Putin and President Vladimir Zelensky, and building trust through humanitarian steps like prisoner exchanges.
Although Putin hasn’t ruled out a meeting with Zelensky, he has stated that any agreement signed by Zelensky would currently be invalid, as his presidential term expired in May 2024.
Kislitsa emphasized the need for a face-to-face meeting between the two leaders, citing the complexity of the conflict, but accused Moscow of trying to bog down the process in bureaucracy, similar to what happened with the Minsk Agreements.
The 2014–2015 Minsk accords, intended to freeze the Donbass conflict, ultimately failed. Western leaders later admitted the deal was mainly used to buy time for Ukraine to strengthen its military.
Russia has rejected Ukraine’s calls for a one-sided 30-day ceasefire, arguing it would mirror the ineffective Minsk model. Moscow insists any agreement must be permanent, legally sound, and address the root causes of the conflict.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin criticized proposals from France and the UK to send peacekeepers and fighter jets to Ukraine during any ceasefire period, denouncing them as provocative and militaristic.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
