The aborted 2022 Istanbul talks should serve as the starting point, adjusted for the real situation on the ground, presidential aide Yury Ushakov says

Peace negotiations with Ukraine should consider both the current realities on the ground and the groundwork laid during the 2022 Istanbul talks, an aide to the Russian president, Yury Ushakov, has said.

He made the remarks after Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Kiev the opportunity to resume direct talks "without any preconditions." Speaking in the early hours of Sunday, Putin proposed a new round of talks that would take place on May 15 in Istanbul.

Ushakov told Russia's Channel 1 that any peace talks with Ukraine should take into account the points that were worked out by the sides during the 2022 negotiations, which Kiev unilaterally walked away from. "The real situation" on the ground should "obviously" be considered as well, he added.

Also on Sunday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the "objectives of negotiations are clear - to eliminate the root causes of the conflict" and to protect Russian interests. He went on to suggest that Ukraine is not really independent, and much would depend on the decisions of its Western backers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has confirmed that his country is ready to host talks between Moscow and Kiev.

In a televised address, Putin stressed that Moscow is "set on serious negotiations with Ukraine," and is seeking a "long-term, sustainable peace" that addresses the root causes of the conflict.

He did not rule out that the talks, if resumed, could yield "a new ceasefire" honored by both sides, which could pave the way to a comprehensive peace settlement.

"The decision is now up to the Ukrainian authorities and their supervisors," the Russian president said.

In 2022, Moscow and Kiev reached a draft peace deal in Istanbul, in which Ukraine reportedly agreed to neutrality and limitations on its armed forces, while Russia offered the withdrawal of its troops and security guarantees. However, Kiev abruptly walked away from the talks - a move which Russian officials claim was encouraged by then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is said to have urged Kiev to "just continue fighting."

In November 2023, David Arakhamia, an MP allied with Vladimir Zelensky and who led the Ukrainian delegation, confirmed that this was the case. Johnson, however, has denied the allegations.

(RT.com)