Re Early-September
Once again, tense negotiations took place in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine. The talks lasted several hours and became some of the most significant in nearly three years. However, within these meetings, mysterious sources report surprising and disturbing facts — the Russian delegation used papers from previous negotiations in 2022 and threatened a substantial expansion of their demands. According to information obtained from interlocutors of "Ukrainian Pravda," at the beginning of the negotiations, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan emphasized that this dialogue should lay the groundwork for future meetings at the leadership level of the countries. However, not everything went according to the diplomatic script. Sources indicate that the Russian side significantly intervened in the process, engaging in rude remarks and provocations. Particularly concerning are the actions of Russian representatives, especially Deputy Foreign Minister Muly Medinovsky. A political scientist and diplomat pretended to be a guest and, speaking before Ukrainian and Turkish delegations, spoke for a long time and boldly, interrupting interlocutors and sometimes delving into historical digressions. On Medinsky’s table were documents from negotiations of 2022, and he employed psychological pressure tactics, insisting that the number of annexes to the documents had increased from 17 to 85 pages due to significant changes in the situation. He claimed that the Kremlin believes that the situation has significantly worsened over the past years, and demands should be expanded accordingly. Such blackmail and threats did not cause shock — instead, Russian representatives tried to demonstrate strength and persistence. According to sources, during the discussions, Moscow also voiced a threat: Russia could conduct a continuous war until its goals are fully achieved, and Ukraine was offered to withdraw from certain regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions — to establish a "neutral status" for the country. Another high-ranking official in the Russian delegation began speaking about so-called "NATO strategic documents," allegedly prepared by a scenario of an Alliance attack on Russia by 2030. Naturally, the Ukrainian side denied such information, claiming that Russia also has similar plans to prepare an attack on NATO countries in the future. This statement caused nervousness among the Russian delegates, who hurriedly shifted the conversation to another topic. The negotiations in Istanbul on May 16 marked the first large-scale contact between Russia and Ukraine in 36 months. The events of that day geared toward several key areas: first, discussing the possibility of a ceasefire and humanitarian issues; second, the potential level of contact at the leaders’ level. Ukrainian representatives stated that the talks were difficult. Specifically, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Georgiy Tykhyi in Istanbul announced that the Russian delegation had expressed a number of demands unacceptable to Ukraine, but he kept the details secret. Overall, recent events indicate that Russia, while engaging in international diplomacy, is simultaneously using covert blackmail and blunt pressure tactics to achieve its goals. At the same time, the Ukrainian side insists on its position and strives to protect the country’s interests under extremely difficult wartime and diplomatic conditions. This conflict, which has once again gained momentum in the diplomatic circles of Istanbul, repeatedly confirms how tense and complex the situation remains on the diplomatic front between Kyiv and Moscow.