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First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Kyslytsia, who took part in informal talks with representatives of the Russian Federation on 16 May in Istanbul, reported open threats from the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky. The diplomat wrote about this on the X network.
“There was a terrible moment when the Russians threatened their interlocutors like gangsters,” Kyslytsia said.
According to him, the Russian side was behaving ultimatum, demanding that Ukraine give up the occupied territories and stop claiming reparations. These are allegedly Moscow’s conditions for a ceasefire.
According to Western media, during the meeting, Medynsky said that Russia was ready for “endless war” and threatened new military offensives, in particular in Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
“We have been at war with Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?” the First Deputy Minister quoted Medynsky as saying.
In response, the Ukrainian delegation stressed the unacceptability of blackmail and reaffirmed Kyiv’s unwavering position on the full restoration of territorial integrity and responsibility for Russia’s aggression.
The meeting in Istanbul was part of an informal dialogue that, according to diplomats, was intended to assess the prospects for advancing peace initiatives, but, according to participants, only demonstrated the Kremlin’s unchanging aggressive rhetoric.
