President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has instructed to form a permanent expanded national negotiation group to work on ending the war and establishing real and lasting peace.
As reported by Ukrinform, the President announced this on Facebook.
Zelensky informed that he held a meeting focused on diplomatic efforts to end the war and establish a real and reliable peace.
Defense Minister Rustem Umerov reported on the work of Ukrsine’s delegation and the negotiation process in Türkiye.
According to Zelensky, “the meetings on May 15–16 showed the world both our commitment to advancing peace and, at the same time, the necessity of pressuring Russia in order to stop the war.”
He emphasized that the most significant outcome of the meeting was the agreement on a prisoner exchange in a 1000 for 1000 format.
“Our team is currently working through the details of the exchange. I am grateful to everyone who is contributing to this effort,” Zelensky noted.
As head of the delegation in Türkiye, Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov reported on the specific details of the talks with the Russian side. Ukraine managed to keep the talks in a dignified manner. All attempts by the Russian side to issue threats were rejected. Ukraine insists on the necessity of a full and unconditional ceasefire to save lives and lay the foundation for diplomacy. Zelensky stated that such a ceasefire must be long enough and capable of being extended.
“Our proposal, shared by our partners, is 30 days — we are ready for this. We are also prepared for a meeting at the level of leaders to solve the key issues. Ukraine is not afraid of direct talks with Russia, and it is important that the Russian leadership not prolong the war,” the President emphasized.
According to him, Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Head of the Presidential Office Andrii Yermak reported on meetings and contacts with representatives of the U.S. and European partners — including France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Türkiye. Yermak presented the positions of the key countries.
“We are coordinating with our partners on an almost daily basis. I am grateful for the support. I have given instructions to form a permanent, expanded national negotiation group,” Zelensky said.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, who participated in negotiations with Russian representatives on May 16 in Istanbul, stated that head of the Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky directly issued threats to the Ukrainian side.
Source: Zelensky instructs to create permanent negotiation group to end war
