Putin sends Medinsky to talks with Ukraine despite Trump’s request
30 May 01:18
Russia will once again send an aide to the Kremlin dictator Vladimir Medinsky for talks with Ukraine. This was announced by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Russia 24 TV channel, [Komersant ] reports citing Russian media.
According to her, the composition of the Russian delegation at the meeting, which is scheduled for June 2, will remain unchanged.
Medinsky has already headed Russian delegations to the talks with Ukraine in Istanbul in 2022 and in May this year. However, his participation caused dissatisfaction among Western mediators. In particular, as Bloomberg reported, the Donald Trump administration insisted on his exclusion from the negotiation process.
American officials in charge of organizing contacts between Kyiv and Moscow opposed the participation of “hardliners” in the talks, including Medynsky, the former Minister of Culture and author of a propaganda history textbook justifying Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Medinsky is also known for his statement about the presence of an “extra chromosome” in the Russian people.
The last meeting between the representatives of Russia and Ukraine took place on May 16 in Istanbul, the first round of direct talks in more than three years. However, the parties failed to reach any concrete agreements on peace. As The Economist found out, Medinsky insisted that Kyiv recognize the loss of the territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions, which the Russian army cannot fully capture. In case of refusal, he threatened that Russia would launch an offensive in Sumy and Kharkiv regions and fight “endlessly.”
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In addition, according to Bloomberg, Medynsky demands that the international community recognize the annexation of Crimea and “new regions.” Other conditions include the neutral status of Ukraine and the rejection of the presence of foreign troops on its territory, the agency wrote.
On May 28, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov proposed holding a second round of talks in Istanbul on June 2. In response, the Ukrainian side demanded that the terms of a possible truce be announced in advance. However, the Kremlin said that specific proposals would be announced only during the meeting of the delegations. So far, Kyiv has not officially confirmed its participation in the talks. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Sergey Lavrov and called on the Russian side to engage in direct dialogue with Ukraine.
