Following an ultimatum from US President Donald Trump, Russia and Ukraine sat down for their third round of negotiations in Istanbul today (July 23rd). While the two sides have resumed talks after Washington set a 50-day deadline on July 14th, optimistic prospects remain dim.
The current talks are taking place at the Çırağan Palace, an Ottoman palace in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, which hosted the last meeting on June 2nd. The official announcement regarding the resumption of negotiations was made by the Turkish Presidential Office.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has set the release of all prisoners of war detained by Russia and the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia as his top priorities in these negotiations. Furthermore, Ukraine is strongly demanding a 30-day full ceasefire before any political agreement. However, Russia is continuing its summer offensive in Donbas and northern Ukraine, firmly rejecting the ceasefire demand.
Vladimir Medinsky, Russia's chief negotiator, is participating in these talks, despite recent criticism from NATO, and has been seen entering and exiting the Duma (Russian lower house).
Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, expressed low expectations for this third round of talks, stating that a "miraculous breakthrough cannot be expected." He added that "given the current situation, this is almost impossible," and that the negotiation agenda would be very complex.
Notably, the peace memorandums of both sides show stark differences. Russia demands that Ukraine △accept neutral status △recognize occupied territories △reduce its military capabilities, and △waive war reparations. In contrast, Ukraine insists on the withdrawal of Russian troops and territorial integrity. Therefore, it is expected to be difficult to find common ground on key issues.
Meanwhile, the European Union (EU) Commission has expressed concern over recent measures taken by the Ukrainian government regarding its anti-corruption bodies and stated that it will closely monitor the situation. Guillaume Mercier, an EU Commission spokesperson, said, "We are concerned about recent actions taken against Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions, particularly the Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office."
He emphasized that these institutions are "crucial for Ukraine's reform agenda and must operate independently to fight corruption," warning that Ukraine will need "strong anti-corruption capabilities" to join the EU. This is expected to be a significant factor influencing Ukraine's EU accession process.
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