Istanbul: Ukraine's delegation arrived in Istanbul on Monday for a second round of direct negotiations with Russia, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry confirmed. 'The Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Istanbul. The meeting is scheduled for this afternoon,' said ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi, according to the state news agency Ukrinform.
According to Anadolu Agency, the talks come a day after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved the lineup of Kyiv's delegation, which will again be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Umerov also headed Ukraine's delegation during the previous round of talks, held in Istanbul on May 16. That round resulted in an agreement for a large-scale prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees from each side.
According to Turkish Foreign Ministry sources, Monday's negotiations are scheduled to begin at 1 pm local time (1000GMT) and will take place at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul.