Ukraine 'ready' for talks with Russia

UKRAINE said yesterday it was ready to take “necessary steps for peace” at talks with Russia in Istanbul, where the two sides will exchange plans on how they want to end the three-year war, Europe’ largest conflict since World War II.

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“We propose to the Russian side to hold a meeting by the end of this month, from 20th to 30th of June,” Defence Minister Rustem Umerov said after talks, adding that the delegations should try to agree a meeting between presidents Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.

Urged on by US President Donald Trump, Moscow and Kyiv have opened direct negotiations for the first time since the early weeks of Russia's invasion, but have yet to make significant progress towards an elusive agreement.

Yesterday's talks come a day after Ukraine carried out one of its most brazen attacks on Russian soil - hitting dozens of strategic bombers parked at airbases thousands of kilometres behind the front line. A first round of talks in Istanbul last month yielded a large-scale prisoner exchange but no pause in the fighting, which has raged since Russia invaded in February 2022.

The second round was scheduled to get under way at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul, an Ottoman imperial house on the banks of the Bosphorus that is now a luxury five-star hotel.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will mediate the talks.