In phone call, Vladimir Putin informed Trump about implementation of Istanbul agreements, says Moscow 'ready to continue negotiation process'
Russian President Vladimir told his US counterpart Donald Trump that peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv in Istanbul “will remain bilateral,” a Kremlin aide said on Thursday.
“We proceed from the fact, and I think the American side understands this perfectly well, that the negotiations will be bilateral in nature between representatives of Russia and Ukraine,” Yuri Ushakov told reporters after a phone call between Trump and Putin, which lasted about one hour.
Putin also informed Trump that Moscow is prepared to hold a third round of direct talks with Ukraine, though the leaders did not discuss specific dates or terms, he added.
The Russian president also updated his US counterpart on the implementation of previous humanitarian agreements reached between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul.
"He (Putin) informed (Trump) about the progress of the implementation of the Istanbul agreements … which were reached during the second round of direct Russian-Ukrainian contacts," Ushakov told reporters.
He stressed that while a third round of negotiations remains on the table, "the specific content of a possible third round was not discussed."
"Our president stated that we are ready to continue the negotiation process,” Ushakov added.
The first two rounds of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul, resulting in a prisoner exchange and the handover of bodies of deceased servicemen to Kyiv. Draft memorandums on conflict resolution were also exchanged.
