Russia Keeps Same Delegation for June 2 Ukraine Talks in Istanbul

Russia has confirmed that its delegation to the upcoming second round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul will remain unchanged from the first round held on May 16. The delegation is led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin, and includes senior officials such as Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate Igor Kostyukov, and Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin. The first round marked the first direct talks since 2022 and resulted in a significant prisoner exchange and commitments to draft ceasefire memorandums. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov proposed holding the next round of talks on June 2 in Istanbul, to which Russia has invited Ukraine. Ukrainian officials have engaged in these talks, though a personal meeting between Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin has not occurred. The consistent Russian delegation underscores Moscow's intent to maintain continuity in the negotiation process.