Russia using stall tactics in negotiations — diplomat

Diplomat Roman Bezsmertnyi expressed this opinon on Espreso TV.

“It has become clear that the negotiations and consultations in Istanbul are turning into diplomatic standoffs. It’s simply going nowhere. This is exactly the tactic Russia has chosen today. In this case, Ukraine needs to take steps that would stimulate the process. Such steps include yesterday’s strikes on Russian strategic aviation or actions that would end this chapter as unnecessary and counterproductive in terms of formulating an answer to the key question — concluding a peace agreement and ending the war,” Bezsmertnyi explained.

The diplomat is convinced that the negotiations and consultations in Istanbul will not bring a positive result regarding a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia.

“Therefore, what was agreed upon is not the key content of these negotiations. It is what was already being developed and resolved at different paces. The Istanbul talks are a diplomatic standoff which, in my opinion, cannot further form an answer to the question of concluding a peace agreement,” he added.

What is known about the Spider's Web operation

On June 1, 2025, the Ukrainian Security Service conducted a major operation called Spider's Web aimed at destroying Russian bomber aviation. It is known that 40 aircraft were damaged.

According to the Security Service, the estimated value of Russia's strategic aviation affected by the special operation amounts to 7 billion dollars.

Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that all terrorist attacks at military airfields in the Ivanovo, Ryazan, and Amur regions were repelled.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked SBU Head Vasyl Maliuk for the operation’s results. He noted that the “office” of the SBU operation in Russia was located right next to the FSB administration in one of the regions. A total of 117 drones were used in the operation.

The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, later reported that at least 13 Russian aircraft were destroyed and even more were damaged in the large-scale SBU operation.

On Monday, June 2, the second round of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia took place in Istanbul, Turkey.