Moscow [Russia], May 18 : The Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, Grigory Karasin, on Saturday (local time), described the recent negotiations on ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul as a significant milestone in resolving the ongoing crisis.
The talks, held on May 16, marked the first face-to-face meeting between Russian and Ukrainian delegations in three years, opening the door to potential resolutions on sensitive issues despite the ongoing conflict.
In a statement, Karasin noted, "It is obvious that Istanbul has become an important milestone! Despite the camouflage gloss of some Kiev negotiators and the traditionally cunning faces of European ideologists who constantly surround Zelensky, the negotiations in Turkey should be perceived as a serious milestone on the path to resolving the crisis in Ukraine."
He highlighted the significance of the dialogue, stating, "The first face-to-face meeting of the two teams after three years of tough military confrontation, despite all the propaganda tricks of the West, still opened the door to contacts and decisions on specific sensitive issues."
Karasin praised the Russian delegation's approach, saying, "Let's pay tribute to the calm and confident manner of conducting the dialogue on the part of the Russian delegation."
The talks resulted in an exchange of prisoners and an agreement to continue negotiations, which he described as "a significant result of difficult work".
He emphasised that Russia's goals, as outlined by President Vladimir Putin in June 2024, when the Russian President demanded that Ukraine give up land occupied by Russia and drop its aspiration to join NATO, remain unchanged but are now likely to be perceived more concretely by both Kyiv and its Western allies.
"The goals remain the same and were formulated by the President of Russia back in June 2024. It seems that now they will be perceived more specifically by both Kiev and its controllers," Karasin added.
Reflecting on the broader significance, Karasin concluded, "What is important, as they once said, is that the process has begun!"
According to CNN, the Istanbul negotiations in Turkiye were the first time in three years that Russia and Ukraine held direct talks to discuss the ceasefire agreement between the two countries' leaders.
However, there were no indications of a significant breakthrough, CNN reported, citing a Ukrainian source and that the Russian delegation asked Kyiv to cede territory that it controlled.
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