Third round of negotiations with Russia: who represents Ukraine in Istanbul
23 July 2025 11:28
Ukraine and Russia will meet today, July 23, for the third round of talks in Istanbul. Ukrainian President Volodymyr has announced the composition of the delegation: it includes representatives of the President’s Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, military intelligence, the Security Service, the General Staff, and the National Security and Defense Council,
Zelenskyy approved the composition of the Ukrainian delegation by decree on July 22. It includes 14 people:
Rustem Enverovych Umerov – Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, head of the delegation.
- Oleksandr Bevz – Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
- Oleksandr Dyakov, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Kyslytsia Sergiy Olehovych – First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
- Kovbasa Yurii Mykhailovych – Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the system of security and defense sector bodies (by agreement).
- Kuzmychov Heorhii Yuriiovych – Protocol Officer of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Luhovskyi Oleh Vasyliovych – First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.
- Yevhenii Viktorovych Ostrianskyi – Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Oleksandr Valentynovych Poklad – Deputy Head of the Security Service of Ukraine.
- Skibitskyi Vadym Vasylovych – Deputy Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.
- Fomin Andrii Anatoliiovych – Head of the International Law Department – Deputy Head of the International and Operational Law Department of the Central Legal Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Oleksii Mykolaiovych Shevchenko – Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Sherikhov Oleksandr Ihorovych – Senior Officer of the Main Operational Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
- Shynkariov Yevhen Mykhailovych – Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The decree also defines the powers of the delegation. In particular, it states that the head of the delegation is allowed to “approve the Directives of the Ukrainian delegation to participate in the negotiation process with Ukraine’s international partners, as well as with representatives of the Russian Federation to achieve a just and sustainable peace (attached, secret).”
Place and time of the meeting of the delegations in Istanbul
The next round of talks between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia is scheduled to take place tonight, Ukrinform reports.
“Negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul are scheduled for the evening at the Çiragan Palace, where the previous meeting was held,” the Directorate of Communications of the Turkish Presidential Administration said.
According to preliminary data, the meeting will begin at about 7 p.m. in the Beşiktaş district, at Çiragan Palace. It is also noted that the meeting program is subject to change.
As reported by
As reported, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Moscow reaffirmed its interest in holding a third round of talks with Ukraine.
As reported, on June 2, the second round of talks between the delegations of Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul. As a result of the meeting, the parties agreed to conduct further exchanges of certain categories of military personnel and bodies of the dead. Kyiv also handed over a list of several hundred Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
In turn, the Russians handed over their so-called “memorandum” and stated that they were offering Kyiv a temporary ceasefire in certain areas of the frontline.
