Russia - Ukraine: any progress in the negotiations?
Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv met in Istanbul on Wednesday for a third round of negotiations, and agreed on a prisoner swap. A glance at the commentaries points to a deadlock and irreconcilable positions on the question of a ceasefire.
Don't rush things
The Kremlin-affiliated news outlet Izvestia explains why the summit proposed by Ukraine is not an option for Moscow:
“Kyiv would like to hold such a summit before the end of August - with the participation of the US and Turkish presidents. Ukrainian politicians are hoping that the combined efforts of the American, Turkish and Ukrainian leaders will persuade Vladimir Putin to show more flexibility and willingness to compromise. But of course this timetable and format are completely unacceptable to Moscow. In Istanbul, our negotiators insisted that a Russian-Ukrainian summit can only be the result of persistent, painstaking and obviously lengthy preparatory work by diplomats, military personnel and experts.”
Talks in name only
These were not genuine negotiations, Rzeczpospolita laments:
“Can genuine negotiations last only 40 minutes? That's how long the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations on Wednesday in Istanbul lasted. Clearly the delegations had nothing to discuss, because accepting the proposals put forward by the Kremlin at the previous meeting on 2 June would mean Ukraine's capitulation, recognition of the occupation of part of its territory and the lifting of all sanctions imposed on Russia. The third round of talks was therefore a mere formality, and it looks like the decision on the prisoner exchange had already been agreed between the parties beforehand.”