The Kremlin said on the 30th that the Russian delegation is scheduled to head to Istanbul, Turkey, on the 2nd of next month (local time) for the second negotiations with Ukraine. Ukraine has reiterated calls for Russia to clarify the agenda by first presenting the 'ceasefire condition memorandum,' without responding to whether it will attend.

According to the TASS news agency on that day, Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, said during a briefing, "I would like to inform you that the Russian delegation is going to Istanbul," adding, "We will be ready for the second negotiations on Monday (June 2)."

Vladimir Putin (left) the President of Russia and Volodymyr Zelensky the President of Ukraine. /Courtesy of AP Newsis·AFP Newsis

The Russian Foreign Ministry also reported that, as with the first negotiations on the 16th, Vladimir Medinsky, an advisor in the Kremlin, will lead the delegation with a draft memorandum and ceasefire-related proposals for the second negotiations.

However, it is unclear whether the negotiations will take place on the 2nd as announced by Russia. This proposal for negotiations is a counter-proposal to Ukraine's proactive demand for a three-party summit between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine, and the date was also unilaterally notified by the Russian side.

Russia is in a position to explain the memorandum containing ceasefire conditions and Russia's stance at the Istanbul negotiating venue. However, Ukraine insists that the memorandum should be made public before the meeting.

Russia also claims that, regarding the three-party summit demanded by Ukraine, the two countries must first achieve results in their negotiations. In contrast, Ukraine accuses Russia of using this stance as a deceptive tactic merely to buy time.

There are projections that Russia may raise the issue of Ukraine's demilitarization in the second negotiations. Grigory Karasin, chairman of the International Affairs Committee of the Russian Federation Council, who participated in the U.S.-Russia negotiations in Saudi Arabia last March, told the Russian daily Izvestia, "Ukraine's demilitarization is one of our fundamental principles," suggesting that this issue may arise in Istanbul.

Earlier, Minister Lavrov also explained that reviving the promise to maintain Ukraine's neutral, non-aligned, and non-nuclear status and including it in the Ukrainian constitution is a key demand of Russia.