The russian-Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul will begin only in the afternoon - their start was postponed at the request of the Turkish side. This was reported by the russian foreign ministry, russian media reported.
"The negotiations have been postponed to afternoon at the initiative of the Turkish side," said russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova during a briefing.
Meanwhile, the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine denied statements from russian sources about the alleged planned start of negotiations in Turkey at 10:00 a.m.
"The information about the "start of negotiations in Turkey" at 10 a.m. Moscow time, which is being thrown into the information space by the russians, is not true. Such a time was not planned," the NSDC press service said in a statement on the social network X on Thursday.
The head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, explained that this is probably another information manipulation by the russian federation. According to him, while russian propagandists are actively spreading messages that "everyone needs negotiations, except Ukraine," Moscow is actually blocking any progress towards peace.
"In fact, the movement towards peace is not needed by russia, which in every possible way avoids a 30-day ceasefire and normal dialogue, and also spreads such lies," Kovalenko emphasized on Telegram.
It was previously reported that US President Donald Trump may join the talks in Istanbul, but only on the condition that vladimir putin will also be present there. This was previously stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
However, it seems that the russian leader ignored this initiative - his name is not on the list of participants in the delegation, which, according to the Kremlin, will leave for Turkey for negotiations.
The dialogue in Istanbul will take place after the end of the short-term "truce" announced personally by putin from May 8 to 11. After its end, Kyiv, together with the leaders of the "Coalition of the Willing" countries, appealed to Moscow with a demand to introduce a "regime of silence" for a period of 30 days from May 12. In case of refusal, the European Union threatened to introduce new restrictions against russia.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on May 14, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Mykhailo Podoliak stated that any negotiations without putin would be meaningless.
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