Any peace negotiation with Ukraine must be based on an “Istanbul Agreement” discussed two years ago under Turkish mediation, according to Gennady Gatilov, Russia’s ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva.
“Negotiations to end the war between Russia and Ukraine that has been going on since February 2022 should be based on not Ukraine’s changing wishes but the realities on the ground first and the agreements reached in Istanbul,” Gatilov told reporters at the U.N. office in Geneva Thursday.
“However, the goal should not be a cease-fire that lasts half an hour or six months simply to allow more ammunition to be delivered to Ukraine,” Gatilov argued.
In the fourth and fifth rounds of talks held in Türkiye’s southern resort city of Antalya in March 2022, weeks after Russia launched its offensive into Ukraine, the sides signed off on the Istanbul Communique.
It proposed that Ukraine end its plans to join NATO eventually, have limits placed on its military and would have obliged Western countries to help Ukraine in case of aggression against it.
The talks almost reached an agreement, with both sides considering “far-reaching concessions,” but stopped in May 2022 due to several factors, including the Bucha massacre.
Türkiye, a key player in mediation efforts, helped reach agreements on other critical issues, such as grain exports and prisoner exchanges. Still, despite occasional proposals from both sides, broader peace talks have failed to progress, mainly due to incompatible demands and underlying distrust.
Among a few countries that have maintained good ties with Russia and Ukraine, Ankara is still committed to acting as an intermediary to find a permanent solution.
“We are open to negotiations to end this war and find a long-term solution,” Gatilov said.