On the evening of May 2025, 14, the Kremlin announced the official composition of the Russian delegation for direct peace negotiations with Ukraine, which are scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul. This step is seen as a significant attempt to resume dialogue after a long hiatus.
Composition of the delegation
By order of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the delegation will be led by Presidential Advisor Vladimir Medinsky, who already participated in previous negotiations in 2022. Other members of the delegation:
- Mikhail Galuzin – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia
- Igor Kostyukov – Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces
- Alexander Fomin – Deputy Minister of Defense of Russia
In addition to the core members, the delegation will also include several experts, including:
- Aleksandrs Zorin – Deputy Head of the Information Directorate of the General Staff
- Yevgenia Podobrievskaya – Deputy Head of the Humanitarian Policy Department of the Presidential Administration
- Alexey Polishchuk – diplomat working in the Second Department for CIS countries
- Vladimir Shevtsov – Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Defense.
Negotiation context
The talks in Istanbul come after Putin offered to start direct talks with Ukraine without preconditions. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would only participate if Putin himself was present at the talks.
The talks are seen as an important step towards ending the long-running conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and the international community is closely watching the process in the hope that it could pave the way for a peaceful resolution.
