No guarantees talks with Ukraine will be smooth—Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday that there are no assurances the planned talks between Moscow and Kiev in Istanbul will proceed without complications.

“We are certain problems will arise—just as they did three years ago in Istanbul, when the initialed principles were ready to be formalised, only for the British to intervene and prevent the Kiev regime from continuing a process that could have led to a settlement,” Lavrov stated.

“Everyone is now hearing about Ukraine in the context of the intrigue currently unfolding in Istanbul, literally in these very hours,” he added, speaking at a meeting of the ‘Culture without Borders: The Role and Development of Cultural Diplomacy’ diplomatic club in Moscow.

Responding to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally attend the talks, Lavrov dismissed him as “a dependent and miserable man.”

Lavrov also reiterated Russia’s concerns about Western calls for a ceasefire, arguing that such appeals are aimed at giving Ukraine time to rearm and regroup.

“The West does not genuinely seek peace in Ukraine,” he claimed. “There is ample evidence that Berlin, Paris, Brussels, and especially London have no real desire for peace.”

In Istanbul for ‘serious and professional’ talks

Earlier on Thursday morning, the Russian delegation arrived at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace, where talks with the Ukrainian side were scheduled to be held.

Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation and presidential adviser, said the delegation came to Istanbul to engage in “serious and professional work” aimed at achieving peace.

“We arrived in Istanbul representing the president, as promised on May 15. We are committed to conducting serious and professional negotiations,” Medinsky said in a statement posted on Telegram.

He added that the goal of the direct talks, initiated by President Vladimir Putin, is to reach a lasting and sustainable peace by addressing the root causes of the conflict.

Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine were previously held in March 2022 in Istanbul, where a draft agreement was reached. However, the Ukrainian side later withdrew after taking time to review the proposal.

On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed the resumption of talks, to which the Ukrainian side agreed. The negotiations were initially scheduled to begin Thursday morning at the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul but were later rescheduled for the afternoon.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier that Ukraine’s delegation includes representatives from the foreign and defence ministries, as well as members of the country's intelligence services.