On May 16 local time, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, and Presidential Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak concluded a high-level meeting in Istanbul with the national security advisors of France, Germany, and the UK. US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia, Michael Kelleher, also attended the talks.
Umerov stated on social media that Ukraine had coordinated positions with its international partners and reiterated its dedication to pursuing peace. He emphasized Ukraine’s recent constructive actions and expressed readiness for a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire—a stance consistent with previous discussions held in Jeddah and Riyadh with US officials.
Ukraine conveyed its willingness to engage in high-level direct negotiations and viewed the Istanbul meeting as a step toward achieving a fair, sustainable, and comprehensive peace. However, Kyiv stressed that peace would only be feasible if Russia demonstrated sincerity by taking concrete steps, such as implementing a minimum 30-day ceasefire and enabling humanitarian actions.
Ukraine thanked its partners—namely the US, France, Germany, and the UK—for supporting the peace process, and expressed appreciation to Turkey for hosting and facilitating the dialogue platform.
