Russia sabotaged future talks in Istanbul: ISW analysis

On Wednesday, July 23, a new meeting of Ukrainian and Russian diplomats will take place in Istanbul for the third round of negotiations. However, just before the start, Russia is behaving quite aggressively, making loud statements that could undermine the upcoming talks.

Russian officials refuse to make any concessions, reflecting their interests and objectives set at the very start of the conflict. Statements by Russian President Putin indicate that they do not expect any concrete results in resolving the conflict.

Ukraine, for its part, is ready to discuss any issues related to the memorandums that were presented at previous negotiations. However, the delay from Russia on this issue indicates that they are trying to prolong the negotiation process and achieve their goals. The situation remains tense, and results from the talks are expected next week.