There will likely be many more meetings between Ukrainian and Russian delegations, with their level and scope potentially changing, but the outcome will depend on various factors — and it cannot be ruled out that Russia may eventually take the negotiation track seriously.
This opinion was expressed in an interview with Ukrinform by prominent German expert and Senior Fellow at the Munich Security Conference, Nico Lange.
“There will probably be a third meeting. Whether there will be three or thirty — we don’t know, but likely many. And perhaps they won’t remain at the current level, because at some point, key issues will have to be resolved… There is definitely a possibility that Russia will eventually show genuine willingness to negotiate,” Lange said.
He noted that so far, there has been no real desire on Russia’s part to engage in serious negotiations. Whether this willingness will grow in the coming weeks and months will depend on developments at the front, but also on how much pressure Kyiv’s partners are willing to place on Putin, and what tools they use.
Among those tools, Lange mentioned sanctions and military support. He believes that economic sanctions, especially in the energy sector, are a step in the right direction — but they need to be strengthened, and there is room to do so.
Military support for Ukraine must also continue and be reinforced, along with the development of the defense industry, he added.
“This includes Taurus [missiles], but also many other measures,” Lange explained.
For context: meetings between Ukrainian and Russian delegations were held in Istanbul on May 15 and June 2. So far, their only tangible outcome has been a large-scale exchange of prisoners and the remains of fallen soldiers.
Source: Russia may eventually take peace talks with Ukraine seriously, German expert says
