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The delegations of Russia and Ukraine have concluded the third round of talks in Istanbul. "It’s over," he said, News.Az reports citing TASS. The talks between the two countries’ delegations kicked off at 8:37 p.m. local time (5:37 p.m. GMT) and lasted for about 40 minutes.

The latest round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine has started at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, RT reported on Wednesday. According to the report, heads of the two countries' delegations are currently holding bilateral talks at the venue. The Russian delegation is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, while National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov is leading the Ukrainian delegation.

A Ukrainian delegation, which arrived in Türkiye for talks with Russia, is holding a meeting with the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The meeting in Ankara has already commenced, Caliber.Az reports, citing Ukrainska Pravda. No further details have been provided. To recall, Ukrainian and Russian officials are set to meet in Istanbul on July 23, for the third round of peace talks, their first meeting in over seven weeks amid ongoing U.S. efforts to secure a cease-fire. The talks will be held at the Çırağan Palace. Ukraine's delegation will be led by former Defence Minister and...

The goal of the upcoming Istanbul talks between Russia and Ukraine is to work through the draft memoranda exchanged during earlier stages, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday, after confirming Moscow's delegation, again led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, had departed for Istanbul. The talks will "mainly focus on the draft memoranda exchanged during the second round," Peskov noted, calling them central to the peace proposal process. He added that reconciling these texts is essential groundwork before any high-level summit can be scheduled so that the leaders would not have to do the technically complex work themselves. Peskov also...

The draft memorandums on resolving the conflict that Moscow and Kyiv exchanged earlier would be the focus of the third round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. "The subject of talks is rather complicated; apart from other issues, the draft memorandums that the parties exchanged in the second round will also need to be discussed," he pointed out, News.Az reports, citing TASS.

The next round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine could take place between July 24 and 25, Tass reported on Monday. The Russian state news agency previously reported that the two delegations were planning to meet for a third round of peace talks in Turkey later this week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said during the weekend that his country proposed continuing talks next week, emphasizing the need to "increase the pace of negotiations." The two countries had their last direct meeting in Istanbul at the beginning of June, which the Turkish Foreign Ministry claimed "did not end negatively," but failed...

Russian officials said Thursday they are prepared to send a delegation to Istanbul for a third round of peace negotiations with Ukraine, while awaiting completion of ongoing prisoner exchange processes and new proposals from Kyiv. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that Moscow's negotiating team stands ready to travel to Istanbul, expressing hope that Ukraine will adhere to existing agreements and continue the negotiation process. "The Russian delegation is ready to go to Istanbul for the third round of negotiations," Zakharova said during her weekly news briefing in Moscow. "We hope that Kyiv will act in accordance with the...

"The memorandums of the Russian Federation and Ukraine contradict each other, but this is not surprising," said Russian President Vladimir Putin, APA’s Moscow correspondent reports. Putin emphasized the importance of a prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, stating that it creates conditions for a substantive discussion of the core issues between Moscow and Kyiv. -snip- Putin stated that the draft memorandum on a settlement between Russia and Ukraine should be a subject of discussion during the third round of talks. He also emphasized that representatives from Russia and Ukraine remain in direct contact.

Putin holds phone call with Trump Statements from Putin’s aide Yuri Ushakov: 🔸The call lasted 50 minutes 🔸The conversation was useful, with the two leaders discussing the escalating situation in the Middle East. 🔸Putin informed Trump about his recent phone contacts with the president of Iran and the prime minister of Israel. 🔸Putin reminded Trump of Russia’s proposal to seek mutually acceptable agreements on the Iranian nuclear issue. 🔸Trump assessed the situation in the Middle East as highly alarming. 🔸The presidents did not rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program. 🔸Putin also informed Trump...

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday that the recent rounds of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul were "important and useful," signaling tangible progress in direct dialogue. Lavrov made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. He emphasized that the talks, agreed upon following a phone conversation with former US President Donald Trump, yielded "concrete results" and demonstrated that the diplomatic process is "working." Lavrov noted that the ongoing communication channels with Kiev are crucial for addressing humanitarian concerns, stating, "It is always better to have channels of communication—this allows you to...

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday praised the latest talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations that took place in his country earlier today. "Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Istanbul today. It was a magnificent meeting," Erdogan said following a cabinet session at the presidential complex in Ankara, stressing that "Istanbul was a turning point." The leader underscored his aspirations to take the dialogue further. "My greatest wish for both sides is to bring [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky together in Istanbul or Ankara," he stated. "Even Trump joining would be ideal," he concluded.

That today’s (2) peace negotiations in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine have flopped is hardly surprising. On the one hand, Russian Federation forces have conquered around 20 settlements in a single week, and their offensive on the Northern Sumy and Kharkov regions have the real potential of breaking down the undermanned and underequipped Ukrainian defenses. Mood at the Istanbul talks — Ukraine’s Defense Minister Umerov cracks a smile, while Putin’s aide Medinsky remains serious pic.twitter.com/9TDU3xBzQ3 — RT (@RT_com) June 2, 2025 But on the other hand, Ukraine arrived for the talks boosted by the success of yesterday’s drone attack on...

Russia presented Ukraine with a "peace memo" on Monday stating its terms for a ceasefire and peace deal, though the Russian position effectively remains unchanged, a Ukrainian official told Axios. -snip- The talks ended after about an hour with no clear breakthrough beyond an agreement for another prisoner exchange. Russia continues to reject President Trump's demand for an immediate ceasefire. Ukraine's defense minister said all POWs who are under 25 or in serious medical condition will be exchanged. The Russian position as stated in the peace memo remains "as usual," and includes demands that Ukraine withdraw from regions of Ukraine...

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov called for a high-level summit by the end of June following direct talks with Russian officials in Istanbul. Speaking after the meeting, Umerov confirmed that Russia handed over a peace memorandum and emphasized that "all key issues at talks can only be resolved at the leader-level." The Ukrainian delegation expressed cautious optimism, highlighting potential humanitarian progress if both sides follow through on agreed-upon measures. At the same press conference, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya noted the importance of sustained diplomacy, stating, "We managed to construct our conversation in a way we can have tangible...

The second round of negotiations between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul "did not end negatively," Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oncu Keceli said on Monday, adding that the delegations' members are currently having lunch. However, Russian news agency Tass reported, citing a source familiar with the plans, that the talks will not continue today, adding that both countries' representatives will leave Turkey soon. Additionally, the source suggested that a third round of negotiations is being arranged, without disclosing further details. Earlier, Axios reported that Russia handed over its peace memorandum to Ukraine, setting out its conditions for a ceasefire...

The Russian government has provided Kiev with a peace memorandum outlining its terms for a ceasefire and the conditions for ending the war, according to Axios global affairs correspondent Barak Ravid, citing Ukrainian sources. The report comes after the conclusion of the second direct meeting between the negotiation teams of Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul, which lasted over an hour. In related news, the Ukrainian Presidency has informed that it has sent Moscow a list containing hundreds of Ukrainian children who have been "deported."

The representatives from Ukraine and Russia gathered in Istanbul, Turkey, on Monday, with the second round of peace negotiations officially underway, according to the TASS news agency. While the Ukrainian delegation is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, the Russian side has presidential adviser Vladimir Medinsky as the lead negotiator. The discussions are being held at the Ciragan Palace (pictured). According to Anadolu Agency, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is chairing the meeting, with Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director Ibrahim Kalin said to be on the attendance list as well.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Heorhii Tykhyi, stated on Monday that Ukraine's First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya (pictured middle) and delegation member Oleksandr Bevz (pictured first from right) met with European representatives from Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom in Istanbul to coordinate their positions ahead of the negotiations between Kiev and Moscow. "Members of the Ukrainian delegation reiterated Ukraine's commitment to peace efforts. They elaborated on the items of the agenda, which include leaders' meeting, a full ceasefire, and humanitarian confidence-building measures," Tykhyi said in a post on X. Meanwhile, a source in the Ukrainian delegation reportedly told AFP...

A trilateral meeting between delegations from Türkiye, Russia, and Ukraine is scheduled to begin at 1 pm local time on Monday at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, Turkish diplomatic sources said. The talks will be chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and are expected to bring together senior officials from all three countries. Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Director İbrahim Kalin is also slated to attend.

2 June 2025 Monday of the 7th week of EastertideIn the north transept of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the first altar on the left is that of St. ErasmusReadings at MassLiturgical Colour: White. Year: C(I).First readingActs 19:1-8The moment Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came down on themWhile Apollos was in Corinth, Paul made his way overland as far as Ephesus, where he found a number of disciples. When he asked, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ they answered, ‘No, we were never even told there was such a thing as a...