Ukraine appoints delegation for Istanbul peace negotiations

By Alperen Aktas

ISTANBUL (AA) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday issued a decree forming an official delegation to participate in peace negotiations with representatives from Türkiye, the US, and Russia, scheduled for May 16 in Istanbul.

According to a statement by the presidential office, the Ukrainian delegation will be led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.

The team includes First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya, Deputy Head of the Security Service Oleksandr Poklad, First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service Oleg Luhovskyy, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Oleksiy Shevchenko, Deputy Head of Defense Intelligence Vadym Skibitsky, and other senior officials from the armed forces and the presidential office, the statement said.

The Russian delegation is headed by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. The US side is expected to be represented by senior diplomatic and security officials, while the Turkish delegation includes high-level mediators appointed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The decree allows the head of Ukraine’s delegation to propose changes to the team with presidential approval and to involve additional staff or experts as needed. The official directives guiding the Ukrainian team remain classified.

Zelenskyy’s order also annuls a 2022 decree that had formed a different delegation for previous talks with Russia.