Russia and Ukraine continued to launch air attacks overnight as they were preparing to meet for the second round of in-person peace talks in Turkiye.
The Ukrainian delegation arrived in Istanbul on Monday, suggesting that recent rhetoric may not take part in the follow-up of first-round consultations between enemies and enemies last month.
Russian negotiators also announced that they had arrived in the Turkish city. There, under pressure from the US, it is expected that Kiev and Moscow will present their own memorandums on peaceful conditions.
The first round of consultations ends with only the prisoner swap agreeing, with Ukraine complaining that Russia continues to make unacceptable and unrealistic demands.
Russia resisted the pressure to send a memorandum to Kiev in advance. However, Presidential Advisor Vladimir Medinsky, Moscow’s chief negotiator, was deemed to be saying that the Kremlin had received the Ukrainian proposal.
According to Reuters, Kiev has proposed a roadmap for lasting peace, with no limits on its military power, and international recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over parts of Ukraine suggesting the conditions Moscow was trying to assert.
When the delegation arrived in Torkiye, Ukrainian officials were busy coordinating with European allies seeking to raise support for Kiev amid uncertainty about US commitment under President Donald Trump.
Prior to the meeting with the Russians, the Ukrainian delegation met representatives from Germany, Italy and the UK.
Almost at the same time, Ukrainian President Voldy Mirzelensky arrived in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, for a summit with leaders of NATO’s eastern and Scandinavian members, some of Kiev’s stubborn supporters amid the Russian invasion.
“If Ukraine doesn’t exist at the NATO summit, it would be a victory for Putin, but not beyond Ukraine, but beyond NATO,” he mentioned Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
Zelenskyy hopes that the Western Military Union will provide security guarantees to Ukraine in the case of ceasefires or peace agreements that Moscow is called “unacceptable.”
Zelenskyy repeated this in search of a “complete and unconditional ceasefire” before consultations.
“The second – the release of the prisoner; the third – the return of the accused child,” he said in a social media post.
Zelenskyy asked for a direct meeting with Putin. The Kremlin previously said such meetings could only take place after the delegation has reached a broader “contract.”
Russia continues to demand that ceasefire agreements must address the “root cause” of the conflict. It permanently mentions limiting Ukraine’s military capabilities, banning Ukraine from participating in NATO and agreeing to territorial concessions.
Massive fire
When the delegations arrived in Istanbul, both countries reported artillery fire from a massive overnight attack.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said on Monday that the 162 Ukrainian drones “intercepted and destroyed” by air defense forces, most of which are in the border area, with 57 intercepted in the Kursk area and 31 in the Belgorod area.
A day ago, Ukraine carried out one of the largest and most successful attacks on Russian soil, struggling dozens of strategic bombers at Siberia and other military bases.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported that Russia targeted the territory with 80 drones overnight and hit 12 targets.
Kherson’s governor Oleksandr Prokudin wrote in Telegram that a cannon fire killed a 40-year-old man in the Korabelny area.
He added that the 5-year-old was also injured in the attack at Kherson and had undergone medical supervision.
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