Moscow

President Vladimir Putin has revealed the names of Russian officials who will participate in new negotiations with Ukraine, set to take place in Turkey, according to Tass.

Leading the Russian delegation will be Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky, joined by Deputy Defense Minister Mikhail Garzin and Igor Kostukov, a prominent figure within the Russian military’s general staff.

Putin has also appointed a team of experts to assist during the talks, including Alexander Zorin, the first vice-chief of the General Staff Information Division; Yelena Podobreyevskaya, vice-president of the Presidential Directorate of Humanitarian Policy; Alexei Polishchuk, Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Second CIS Division; and Victor Shevtsov, deputy director at the Ministry of Defense’s International Military Cooperation Bureau.

Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov confirmed that discussions with Ukraine are set to resume in Istanbul on Thursday. Reports indicate that the Russian delegation will address both technical and political matters.

Putin initially extended an unconditional invitation to Ukraine for direct negotiations back on May 11.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated that he would closely monitor who Russia sends to the upcoming talks in Turkey before deciding on Ukraine’s next steps. He expressed skepticism regarding Russia’s intentions, labeling recent signals from Moscow as “unconvincing.”

Zelenskyy also mentioned that U.S. President Donald Trump’s attendance at the meeting could be a strong factor.

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy shared a post, stating, “Today we held several meetings with our team regarding the format in Turkey. We are waiting to see who will come from Russia, and we will decide on Ukraine’s next moves. Everything is still to be determined.”

In his post, he added, “Russia will only prolong the conflict and cause more suffering. I would like to express my gratitude to all leaders exerting pressure on Russia and other nations.”