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Zelenskyy orders to set up permanent team of negotiators for talks with Russia

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

19 May 2025 17:38 (UTC +04:00)

Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy has ordered to form a permanent expanded delegation for talks with Russia, APA reports, citing TASS.

"I have instructed to form a permanent expanded national negotiating group," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram after hearing a report from Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov who led the Ukrainian delegation at a meeting with Russian negotiators in Istanbul on Friday.

While Zelenskyy did not disclose the names on the expanded team, he said Kyiv was ready for direct contacts with Moscow. "Also, we are ready for a leaders’ summit on resolving key issues," he added.

On May 16, Istanbul hosted negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, their first since 2022. As a result, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to swap 1,000 POWs from each side, outline their vision of a ceasefire in detail, and continue the negotiation process. Russia’s chief negotiator, Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, shared that the Russian side was satisfied with the outcome. Also, he said, Ukraine requested direct talks between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, an issue Russia "has taken note of."