Shoigu named Istanbul as the main platform for Russia–Ukraine negotiations

Istanbul is becoming the main venue for negotiations on all fronts, particularly for meetings between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations.

This was stated by Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu during a meeting with Secretary General of Turkey’s National Security Council Okay Memiş.

Shoigu thanked the Turkish leadership for providing this platform for Russia and Ukraine to hold negotiations, and thanked Memiş for his participation in the international meeting of senior representatives overseeing security issues.

“We know that Ankara has made considerable efforts, including ensuring security to create optimal conditions for the delegations to work,” his statement was quoted by TASS.

On May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the second meeting between representatives of Moscow and Kyiv could take place in Istanbul on June 2. He noted that the Russian side has already developed a memorandum outlining Russia’s positions “on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis.”

RIA Novosti, citing a Turkish diplomatic source, reported that Turkey is ready to host the delegations for negotiations in Istanbul on June 2.

Earlier, the Vatican had been proposed as a venue for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov pointed out that holding a meeting there would be “inelegant,” as both countries are Orthodox. Representatives of several European countries proposed holding the talks in Geneva. However, a source speaking to TASS said that the Swiss city would not become the venue for negotiations because Switzerland’s policy had lost its neutrality.