Moscow says 'ready' for second round of Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on Monday

- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha says 'Why wait until Monday? If the Russians have finally elaborated on their 'memorandum'—after ten days of reflections and attacks—it can be passed to us right away'

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Wednesday that Russia has proposed holding the second round of direct negotiations with Ukraine on June 2 in Istanbul, Russian state-run news media TASS reported.

“With the support of the United States, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, it was possible to create conditions for the resumption of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations,” Lavrov said in a written statement.

He recalled that the first round of talks took place on May 16 in Istanbul, resulting in a prisoner exchange of 1,000 people from each side. The parties also agreed to prepare position documents toward a sustainable settlement.

He said: “The Russian side, as agreed, promptly developed a memorandum that sets out our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis.

“Our delegation, headed by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide the necessary explanations during the second round in Istanbul next Monday, June 2.”

Lavrov expressed gratitude to Türkiye for facilitating the talks. “As Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed during his visit to Moscow yesterday, I would like once again to thank our Turkish partners for providing a hospitable Turkish platform,” he said.

He called on all those “who are sincerely, and not just in words, interested in the success of the peace process” to support the proposed meeting in Istanbul.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov responded to Lavrov's proposal, saying that Kyiv is fully prepared for a complete and unconditional cease-fire with Russia, and that Moscow should deliver the promised memorandum before the proposed second round of peace talks in Istanbul on June 2.

"We confirm Ukraine's readiness for a complete and unconditional ceasefire and further diplomatic work. We are not against meetings with the Russians and expect their "memorandum" so that the meeting is not empty and can really bring the end of the war closer," he said in a statement on X.

“Unfortunately, the Russian side attempted to delay this process. But pressure worked,” he added, referring to statements by President Donald Trump, European leaders, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We reaffirm Ukraine's readiness for a full and unconditional ceasefire and continued diplomatic engagement,” Umerov wrote on X, noting that Ukraine had already handed over its position document to the Russian delegation.

“The Russian side promised to hand over the 'memorandum' immediately after the exchange. We call on them to fulfill that promise without delay and stop trying to turn the meeting into a destructive one,” he added. “Diplomacy must be substantive, and the next meeting must yield results.”

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also commented on the proposal, saying: "Why wait until Monday? If the Russians have finally elaborated on their 'memorandum'—after ten days of reflections and attacks—it can be passed to us right away."

"We anticipate that the Russian side will not derail the next meeting and will immediately submit their proposals for our consideration, as previously agreed," Sybiha stated in a separate post on X. "Only a well-prepared meeting has the potential to produce tangible results."