Sybiha: Russia must submit ceasefire proposal before Istanbul talks

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said this at a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Kyiv on Friday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"We are interested in continuing these meetings [with the Russian delegation in Istanbul] because we want to end the war this year. We are also interested in establishing a ceasefire — whether it lasts 30, 50, or 100 days. Ukraine is open to discuss this directly with Russia — we confirmed this during the [previous] ceasefire," he said.

Sybiha said that Ukraine was also expecting the memorandum from the Russian side, as previously announced.

"We expect to receive it in advance. This was also promised to the American side. Therefore, for the next planned meeting to be substantive and focused, it is essential to receive the document beforehand so that our delegation has the authority to discuss the relevant positions," he said.

The minister stressed that Ukraine had accepted the U.S. proposal for a ceasefire and noted that "the ball is now in Russia's court."

"Russia must now accept an unconditional ceasefire, which will pave the way for broader talks on our peace efforts aimed at achieving a just, comprehensive, and lasting peace for Ukraine. That is why pressure must be put on Russia to hear from them a clear 'yes' to the ceasefire," Sybiha said.

On Wednesday, May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow had proposed holding a second round of negotiations between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on June 2.

Sybiha urged Russia to immediately hand over its ceasefire proposal to Ukraine rather than waiting until Monday.

On Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that Russia had still not submitted its memorandum with ceasefire proposals to Ukraine or its partners.