Umierov: Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire and direct talks with Russia at the highest level

Rustem Umierov. Photo: Ministry of Defence

After talks with advisers to the leaders of the United States, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Defence Minister Rustem Umierov, head of the Ukrainian delegation in Istanbul, said that Ukraine is ready for a complete ceasefire and direct negotiations at the highest level.

The Minister of Defence of Ukraine wrote about this on Facebook.

«We coordinated our positions with our colleagues ahead of today's meeting with the Russian delegation in Istanbul. The Ukrainian side reaffirmed its commitment to peace efforts, emphasising the constructive steps taken in recent weeks and months. We are ready for a full and unconditional ceasefire, as we noted earlier during meetings in Jeddah and Riyadh with our American partners. Ukraine is ready for direct talks at the highest level. Today we have arrived in Istanbul to find real ways to a sustainable and just peace», Rustem Umierov said.

He stressed that peace is only possible if Russia is ready to take concrete actions, including a complete ceasefire for at least 30 days and humanitarian steps, such as the return of forcibly deported Ukrainian children and prisoner of war exchanges under the formula «all for all».

As a reminder, on Friday, 16 May, Ukrainian and Russian delegations will meet in Istanbul for talks.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the composition of the Ukrainian delegation. The list includes 12 people, and the group will be headed by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov.

In addition, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed security guarantees in the Black Sea.