Senior Diplomat Says Istanbul Remains A Place For Russia-Ukraine Negotiations

Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey. (Twitter/@HakanFidan)

JAKARTA - Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said questions about the selection of alternative places for negotiations with Ukraine were not mentioned, regarding the location of further talks between the two countries.

The senior Russian diplomat was asked if the Vatican could host the next round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations.

He replied: "(Russian Foreign Minister) Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov has interpreted our point of view. Istanbul is a place that has gathered certain communication experiences," he said, quoted from TASS June 4.

According to him, "The question is not about the place, but about the essence."

"That's why choosing a new place is completely impossible," said Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko.

On June 2, Istanbul hosted the second round of direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, precisely at the Ciragan Palace. During the meeting that lasted more than an hour, the two sides spoke Russian. They exchanged documents with their vision of how to resolve the conflict.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, said Kyiv proposed holding the next round of negotiations between June 20 and 30.

Last month, Istanbul hosted the first round of direct negotiations between the two countries, precisely at the Domabance Palace.

Russia-Ukraine direct negotiations were held in March 2022, after negotiations in Belarus. The two negotiations were held following the outbreak of the conflict on February 24, 2022.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan thanked Russian and Ukrainian negotiators for the offer to Turkey after the two exchanged proposals for a possible ceasefire during the second round of talks organized by Turkey.

"I would like to reiterate my gratitude to the two countries for their unshakable trust in Turkey in this historic process," said Foreign Minister Fidan on X, quoted by the Daily Sabah.

Separately, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey wanted to host a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and United States President Donald Trump in Istanbul or Ankara.

President Erdogan said it was in line with the desire to make Istanbul the center of peace diplomacy.

Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting in the capital Ankara, President Erdogan praised negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on Monday.

"My biggest desire for both parties is to bring together President (Russia) Vladimir Putin and (Ukraine Volodymyr) Zelensky in Istanbul or Ankara and even bring together (US President) Trump on their side, if they agree," he said.

President Erdogan further said Turkey would "take steps" to facilitate such gatherings.

He said he would join the leaders at the meeting, so "we can turn Istanbul into a center of peace."

"The role of Istanbul in the Russia-Ukraine negotiations is very important. It is a turning point," said President Erdogan.