Russia has announced the composition of the delegation it will send to Istanbul on Thursday for what is expected to be the first direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine since April 2022 regarding the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to President Vladimir Putin.
Other members of the Russian delegation include:
Mikhail Galuzin – Deputy Foreign Minister
Igor Kostyukov – Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU)
Alexander Fomin – Deputy Minister of Defense
Additional experts expected to attend the talks are:
Alexander Zorin – First Deputy Head of the Information Directorate of the General Staff
Elena Podobreevskaya – Deputy Head of the Presidential Directorate for State Policy
Alexey Polishchuk – Director of the Second CIS Department, Russian Foreign Ministry
Vladimir Shevtsov – Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation, Russian Ministry of Defense
In contrast, the Ukrainian delegation will include:
President Volodymyr Zelensky
Andriy Yermak – Head of the Presidential Office
Rustem Umerov – Minister of Defense
Andriy Sybiha – Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ihor Zhovkva – Presidential Advisor
The stark difference in the composition of the delegations—Russia sending deputy ministers, military officials, and policy experts, while Ukraine sends its head of state and top ministers—raises questions about the expectations and potential outcomes of the talks.
Zelensky has consistently insisted that any negotiations be held directly with President Putin. However, on Wednesday, Zelensky was quoted as saying he would personally decide whether to meet with the Russian delegation on Thursday.
Ukrainian law, following a decree issued by Zelensky in October 2022, prohibits government officials from negotiating with Russia while Vladimir Putin remains in power. Nevertheless, Zelensky has maintained that the law does not apply to him as president.