Ukraine Demands 'Clarity' From Russia Ahead of Istanbul Talks

Kyiv States Commitment to Search for Peace But Wants Moscow to Present Proposals

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KYIV - Ukraine on May 30 resisted pressure from Moscow and Washington to commit itself to attending peace talks with Russia on June 2, saying it first needed to see the proposals Russian negotiators plan to bring to the talks.

After US President Donald Trump urged Moscow and Kyiv to work together on a peace deal to end their three-year-old war, Russia proposed sitting down with Ukrainian officials next week in Istanbul.

Kyiv responded by saying it was committed in principle to the search for peace, but that it was waiting for a memorandum from the Russian side setting out its proposals, which it had still not received.

"We are ready for dialogue, but we demand clarity - clear and, most importantly, balanced proposals," the Ukrainian President's chief of staff, Mr Andriy Yermak, said in remarks aired on national television.

The war, the biggest on the European continent since World War II, began when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.