Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday that the Russian delegation has been instructed to pursue agreements aimed at securing a sustainable and long-lasting peace during the ongoing talks in Istanbul.
“Achieving long-term, lasting peace from a historical perspective is our priority. This is the stance of the Russian delegation currently in Istanbul, which has received the relevant instructions on this matter,” she said during a press briefing in Moscow.
Zakharova also commented on the Ukrainian side, noting that “today will show how prepared Ukraine is, what it is willing to commit to, and how ready it is for these negotiations.”
When asked why Türkiye was chosen as the venue for the talks, she explained that the negotiations are returning from where they were previously interrupted.
However, she emphasized that the Russian position has shifted due to “changes on the frontlines.”
The spokeswoman alleged that every time Ukraine “disrupts the peace process, it loses additional territories.”
In response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s criticism of the Russian delegation’s composition, Zakharova said it is made up of highly qualified professionals with the necessary education and experience.
However, she questioned the Ukrainian president’s qualifications, claiming that the “public is unaware of where Zelenskyy himself received his education.”
Regarding the possibility of Europe joining the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, Zakharova asserted that this could only occur if Europe ceased its support for Ukraine because a mediator cannot take sides.
The spokeswoman also highlighted the contradiction between European leaders’ calls for a diplomatic solution to the conflict and their actions, such as supplying weapons, supporting what she referred to as Kyiv’s “terrorist attacks” on Russian territory, and remaining silent about human rights violations in Ukraine.
In response to Western threats of sanctions in the event of slow progress in the peace process, Zakharova said any attempts to engage Russia through pressure, ultimatums, threats, or blackmail are futile and without prospects.
Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine took place in March 2022 in Istanbul. A draft peace agreement was agreed upon, but the Ukrainian side took time to consider it and subsequently withdrew from the negotiation process.
On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed resuming talks, which the opposing side accepted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine’s delegation includes representatives from the foreign and defense ministries, as well as members of the country’s intelligence services.