Discussion between Erdogan and NATO Secretary General centers around the Ukraine situation
In Istanbul, on July 23, the third round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine took place, lasting approximately 40 minutes. The conversation was initiated at the request of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
During the talks, key developments included the production of the Istanbul Communiqué, which outlined the "Key Provisions of the Treaty on Ukraine's Security Guarantees." This framework proposed that Ukraine would abandon plans for NATO membership and become a neutral country, in return for security guarantees from Russia and Western countries, including military assistance if Ukraine were attacked. Ukraine was also allowed to pursue EU membership, and a 15-year consultation period on the status of Crimea was proposed. However, Ukraine rejected recognizing Russian occupation of any part of its territory.
Despite these advances, the talks resulted in little substantive breakthrough beyond several prisoner of war exchanges. The sides discussed the positions outlined in the draft memorandums during the talks, but no comprehensive peace deal or leader-level summit occurred.
Russian President Vladimir Putin showed reluctance to engage in a direct bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasizing a preference for continuing negotiations in the Istanbul format rather than a head-of-state summit. Lavrov also questioned Zelensky's legitimacy, which Russian officials have used to justify delaying broader peace agreements.
The heads of the delegations, Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, held a private conversation before the full-scale talks. The conversation between the two parties continued beyond the third round, with subsequent rounds and ongoing exchanges of prisoners, but challenges remain due to fundamental disagreements and trust issues between the sides.
President Erdoğan of Turkey, who facilitated the talks, noted progress in direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. He also stated that Turkey would closely monitor the upcoming talks regarding Ukraine.
Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, is not specifically mentioned as playing a direct role in these Istanbul negotiations or involved in the related peace discussions during this period based on the available information. Similarly, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg does not appear explicitly in connection with these direct talks or the Istanbul framework. NATO’s role in the negotiations is indirectly referenced through the broader context of security guarantees discussed, but Stoltenberg himself is not reported as a principal participant or interlocutor in the talks at Istanbul.
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