Russia Requests Second Round of Peace Talks with Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2

Moscow has expressed its desire for the second round of peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine to take place in Istanbul on June 2, according to an announcement made earlier on Wednesday afternoon (May 28, 2025). Sergey Lavrov stated that the Russian delegation, once again led by Vladimir Medinsky, is prepared to present Ukraine with a memorandum outlining Russia’s terms for ending the war. The Russian side, as agreed, has developed a corresponding memorandum detailing their position on all aspects of the deeper causes of the crisis. Medinsky’s delegation is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide necessary explanations during the next round of direct negotiations in Istanbul on Monday, June 2. Earlier, Medinsky confirmed he had called Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov proposing a meeting in the coming days without specifying the location or time. Russia awaits Ukraine’s response as soon as possible, emphasized the Russian official, supported by Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov. According to Medinsky, he reached out to Umerov to suggest a precise date and venue for exchanging memorandums, aiming to start substantial discussions on each point of the agreement package for future ceasefire implementation.