Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s statement on the second round of the resumed direct Russian-Ukrainian talks, Moscow, May 28, 2025

As you know, with support from the United States, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, it became possible to pave the way for the resumption of direct Russian-Ukrainian negotiations. The first round was held on May 16 in Istanbul. Pursuant to the agreements reached, the parties have exchanged 1,000 prisoners of war each. In addition, Moscow and Kiev agreed in Istanbul to prepare documents setting out the parties’ respective stances on achieving a sustainable settlement.

As agreed, the Russian side promptly drafted a memorandum that sets out our views on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis. Our delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, is ready to present this memorandum to the Ukrainian delegation and provide the necessary clarifications during a second round of resumed direct talks in Istanbul next Monday, June 2.

I would like to once again express my gratitude to our Turkish partners for providing a hospitable venue for the talks, which Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan confirmed yesterday during his visit to Moscow.

We hope that all parties that are genuinely interested in the success of the peace process rather than just claim to be in favour of the initiative will support the new round of direct Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul.