Istanbul Talks: Russia To Seek Peace Without Committing to a Ceasefire
Venue for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Istanbul, Turkey, May 15, 2025. X/ @HDNER
May 15, 2025 Hour: 8:01 am
‘The West needs the truce to stuff Ukraine with weapons so it can enter negotiations from a position of strength,’ Lavrov said.
On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called for giving peace negotiations in Istanbul a chance, but criticized the cease-fire proposal, arguing it would only allow Ukraine to rearm.
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“We must give negotiations a chance, but no one can guarantee everything will go smoothly and without problems,” Lavrov said, noting that issues also arose during the failed talks held in Istanbul in March and April 2022.
He stressed that the United States has supported Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for Russian and Ukrainian delegations to resume contacts in Istanbul. He reiterated that “we must give this initiative a chance.”
Still, Lavrov claimed that Kiev’s allies are openly seeking to rearm Ukraine during a long-lasting cease-fire so it can continue fighting Russian forces. “The West needs the truce to stuff Ukraine with weapons so it can enter negotiations from a position of strength,” he said.
Putin rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s proposal for a face-to-face meeting in Istanbul, instead sending a negotiating team led by Vladimir Medinsky, one of his advisers.
The Russian delegation also includes a deputy foreign minister, a deputy defense minister, and a senior official from the Russian military’s General Staff. Lavrov is not part of the Russian delegation.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, European Union countries approved their 17th package of sanctions against Russia. The new restrictions include nearly 200 “shadow fleet” tankers involved in trading Russian oil.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE