The Kremlin said Friday that it expects Russian and Ukrainian negotiators to discuss a list of conditions for a ceasefire during talks in Istanbul next week.
Russia has proposed holding the second round of talks with Ukraine on June 2. However, Ukraine wants to see Russia's proposals for a peace deal before it sends a delegation to Turkey, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Friday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the Russian delegation would be travelling to Istanbul and would be ready for talks with Ukraine on Monday morning.
"At the moment, everyone is focused on the direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations. A list of conditions for a temporary truce is being developed," Peskov told reporters. He said the details of the memorandum will not be made public.
Reuters reported earlier this week that Putin's conditions for ending the war in Ukraine include a demand that Western leaders pledge in writing to stop expanding NATO eastward.
U.S. President Donald Trump's envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Thursday that Russia's concern over the eastward enlargement of NATO was "fair," adding that Washington did not intend to invite Ukraine to join the Western military alliance.
Commenting on Kellogg's remarks, Peskov said that Putin has regularly argued that NATO expansion should be halted.
"We are pleased that these explanations by the president are understood, including in Washington. And, of course, this is quite appealing to us in terms of the mediating role that Washington continues to play," Peskov said.
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