Russia receives two key signals in negotiations — political analyst

He shared his opinions on Espreso TV.

"Today will see the peak of negotiations in over three years of war — the whole world has mobilized. We see how precisely and flawlessly the U.S. is working together with EU leaders. World diplomacy has never operated so effectively and harmoniously. However, the pressure tools on Russia are ineffective. I believe these negotiations will end with little result. But if they become the start of a negotiation process, that will already be a success," Koshel noted.

According to the political analyst, on the other hand, in the context of the negotiations, it is important to assess two signals that Russia has received.

"The first signal came from the President of Brazil. This indicates that within the frameworks Russia is building globally, not everything is going well. Second, I can confidently say that over the past month, there has been an active campaign in Russia around the theme 'Russia is ready for peace, Russia is preparing a truce.' These are not signals directed at Starmer, Macron, or Trump — they are messages aimed at Russia’s own electorate. In other words, public opinion is being prepared, and this effort intensified in early May. Information campaigns are underway, and this is a characteristic sign," Koshel emphasized.

Doctor of Historical Sciences Koshel added that the Russians are indeed ready to make certain concessions, as they understand their situation is far from ideal. However, the collective West currently lacks sufficient leverage, or more likely, the resolve.

"The coalition of the willing lacks determination. They have made many statements and sent signals to Putin — sanctions, warnings, diplomatic messages. But there are no real actions behind those statements," Koshel concluded.

Ukraine-Russia peace talks in Istanbul

In a nighttime address on May 11, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed he was ready for direct talks with Ukraine in Turkey next week, but he dismissed the idea of a 30-day truce. In response, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would keep working with both sides and predicted that the coming week would be “great.”

On May 12, the German government announced that if Russia did not agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine by the end of the day, European partners would begin preparations for new sanctions. In contrast, the Kremlin stated that “the language of ultimatums is unacceptable for Russia.”

Advisor to the head of the Ukrainian President's Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would not meet with any Russian representative other than Vladimir Putin in Turkey on May 15. Later, Zelenskyy himself confirmed his personal visit to Turkey for a meeting with Putin.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the talks in Istanbul with Kyiv should recognize the "realities on the ground," including Russia’s incorporation of Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that if his meeting with the Russian leader takes place on May 15 in Turkey, the main topics of discussion will be a complete ceasefire and a full exchange of prisoners of war.

On the evening of May 14, the Russian Federation announced the composition of its delegation for talks with Ukraine in Istanbul.

Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov later stated that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not be present during the talks between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Turkey on May 15.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Kyiv will send a delegation to talks with Russia in Istanbul. It will be headed by Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.