The Date Of Russia-Ukraine Negotiations This Week Is Still Under Discussion

JAKARTA - The date of the new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine is still under discussion and will be announced at the right time, said a source on Monday.

"These dates are still in the process of approval and will be announced on time," the source told TASS as quoted July 21.

The comments are in line with a Turkish media report which states that negotiations are likely to take place on July 23-24.

Turkce's Independent newspaper previously reported, citing sources, the negotiations are likely to take place on Wednesday or Thursday.

Meanwhile, sources close to Russian negotiating groups previously confirmed Ukraine had offered Russia to hold new rounds of negotiations this week.

As previously reported, Russia-Ukraine negotiations are likely to be held this week, with Istanbul, Turkey is expected to host.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said yesterday that the Ukrainian delegation had invited Russia to hold the next round of negotiations next week.

According to him, the proposal was submitted by Rustem Umerov, secretary of the Ukraine National Security and Defense Council as well as head of the Kyiv delegation to the Istanbul negotiations.

"Secretary of the Umerov National Security and Defense Council said he had invited the Russian side to hold the next meeting next week. Negotiations need to be accelerated," he said in a video speech posted on his Telegram channel.

A source familiar with the negotiations said Istanbul would remain the host of the latest rounds of Russia-Ukraine negotiations after two rounds of previous negotiations.

"Yes, Istanbul is an acceptable place," said the source, answering questions about the place of negotiations.

It is known, Kremlin officials previously said several times that they were waiting for a proposal from the Ukrainian side regarding the continuation of negotiations with Ukraine.

Last week, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia was calling on international partners to pressure Ukraine to continue peace negotiations.

He also dismissed that negotiations between the two countries were said to have developed, again emphasizing that Russia was waiting for a date proposal from Ukraine regarding the next round of negotiations, after two rounds of previous negotiations.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova previously stated that the Moscow delegation was ready to leave for Istanbul for the third round of negotiations with Ukraine.

Zakharova expressed her hope that Kyiv would act according to the spirit of the agreement that had been reached "and would continue the negotiation process."

Russia launched a special military operation on Ukrainian territory on February 24, 2022. Negotiations between the two countries were carried out in March 2022 in Belarus and Turkey, but no agreement has yet been reached.

In April, US President Steve Witkoff's special envoy was found to have met President Putin twice.

This year, the two countries have held two rounds of live negotiations, the first at the Dolmabache Palace on May 16 and the second at the Ciragan Palace on June 2, both in Istanbul, Turkey, to end the war between the two countries.

After the initial negotiations in June, Russia and Ukraine agreed to hold the next round of negotiations. Peskov said Moscow hopes that the next round date can be agreed upon soon.