Russian delegation to await Ukrainian counterparts starting 10 a.m. May 16 — Putin's aide

He made this statement after a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the evening of Thursday, May 15, according to the Russian state propaganda agency TASS.

The meeting between the head of the Turkish side and the Russian delegation took place at the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul.

Medinsky said that the Russian delegation will be waiting for the Ukrainian delegation from 10 a.m. tomorrow, “they are expected to arrive for the meeting.”

Medinsky added that the Russian side “held a fruitful meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister and explained Moscow’s position,” and that the Russian delegation “arrived in Istanbul for direct bilateral negotiations with Ukraine without any preconditions.”

“Russian delegation is open to compromise in peace talks”

Medinsky told reporters about this earlier on May 15, reported the Russian propaganda news agency TASS.

According to Medinsky, the Russian side is ready to resume the negotiation process in Istanbul, which was interrupted in 2022.

“We are ready to discuss and resume the course of the Istanbul negotiations, ready for possible compromises and their discussion,” he said.

“We have a working attitude,” Medinsky added.

As reported by RIA Novosti, Medinsky earlier noted that “the purpose of these negotiations is to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and build a lasting peace.”

Later, Medinsky held a press conference where he stated that the meeting in Istanbul is a “continuation” of the 2022 negotiations with Ukraine.

According to him, the Russian delegation’s task in Istanbul is to “establish long-term peace and eliminate the causes of the conflict.”

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.