Zelenskyy names delegation for Istanbul peace talks with Russia
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed a 14-member delegation to lead peace negotiations with Russia in Istanbul on July 23, while signaling upcoming rounds of prisoner-of-war (POW) exchanges.
The delegation will be headed by National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and include key officials from Ukraine’s military intelligence, Foreign Ministry, and Presidential Office. Among them are First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya, presidential advisor Oleksandr Bevz, and deputy military intelligence chief Vadym Skybytskyi, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“Our position is fully transparent. Ukraine never wanted this war, and it is Russia that must end the war it started,” Zelenskyy said during a meeting in Kyiv on July 22. He emphasized Ukraine’s readiness to work “as productively as possible” to secure concrete outcomes, particularly on humanitarian issues.
Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine expects “several rounds of exchanges” under the agreements reached during the second round of talks in Istanbul. The agenda of the upcoming meeting includes the repatriation of POWs, the return of abducted Ukrainian children, and the framework for a future summit involving national leaders.
Andriy Yermak, head of the Presidential Office, reported on Ukraine’s coordination with European and U.S. diplomatic partners to support the peace process.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed Moscow’s willingness to attend a third round of negotiations but said that a final date has not been confirmed. Russia’s delegation will remain led by Vladimir Medinsky, a senior aide to President Vladimir Putin, who has declined to participate directly.
Earlier this month, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Ankara is working to facilitate a direct Zelenskyy-Putin meeting, potentially with U.S. President Donald Trump’s involvement. However, while Ukraine has proposed an unconditional 30-day ceasefire backed by Washington, Russia has rejected the offer, insisting its objectives will be achieved “on the battlefield.”
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