Russia and Ukraine have conducted their first direct peace talks in three (3) years on Friday, converging in Istanbul, Turkey for Turkish-brokered negotiations, however, officials and observers expected them to produce little immediate progress on putting an end to the more than three-year fighting.
Led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, a Ukrainian delegation, sat down with a low-level Russian team headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, according to Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi, who released a photo of the meeting.
The officials at the meeting, sat around a U-shaped table, with the Russians and Ukrainians facing each other.
A senior official of Ukraine close to the talks, disclosed that Kyiv’s delegation was ready to “achieve a lot today” and with a real mandate to resolve key issues. However, said the outcome depends on whether Moscow is equally serious.
The fighting between Russia and Ukraine started in February, 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. It is seen as the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II.
