The Kremlin has formally approved the composition of its delegation for talks with Ukraine set to take place in Turkey on 15 May. The list, signed off by Russian President Vladimir Putin late on 14 May, does not include the president himself.
The delegation will be led by Vladimir Medinsky, who currently serves as an aide to the Russian president. Medinsky previously headed the Russian delegation during negotiations with Ukraine in 2022. His reappointment signals a return to a familiar format in terms of diplomatic representation, albeit without the direct presence of Russia’s political leadership at the highest level.
According to the official release from the Kremlin’s press service, the delegation also includes several senior officials from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence.
Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has been named as a key member of the negotiating team. Galuzin has been involved in multiple diplomatic efforts concerning Ukraine and the post-Soviet space. He is expected to provide continuity from Russia’s foreign policy establishment.
Joining him is Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (commonly known as the GRU), and Alexander Fomin, Deputy Defence Minister. Both officials have been closely associated with Russia’s military strategy during the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The presence of senior military figures in the delegation indicates that the talks in Turkey may include discussions on military de-escalation, operational matters, or ceasefire arrangements. It also reflects the Kremlin’s view of the negotiations as being not purely political, but also strategic in nature.
The Russian side has also named a group of additional officials described in the documentation as “experts”. This group includes Alexander Zorin, First Deputy Head of the Information Directorate of the General Staff; Elena Podobreevskaya, Deputy Head of the Presidential Directorate for State Policy in the Humanitarian Sphere; Alexey Polishchuk, Director of the Second CIS Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Vladimir Shevtsov, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation at the Ministry of Defence.
These experts are likely to support the main delegation with technical and policy input during the course of the negotiations. The inclusion of officials from departments overseeing humanitarian policy, information management, and military cooperation suggests that the Russian delegation is preparing to address a broad range of topics, including the treatment of civilians, exchange of prisoners, and possible humanitarian corridors.
There has been no official comment from the Ukrainian side regarding the composition of Russia’s delegation or the scope of the planned discussions. The choice of Turkey as the host country for these talks reflects Ankara’s ongoing role as a mediator between the two sides, a position it has maintained since the early stages of the war.
President Putin’s decision not to include himself in the delegation is consistent with his approach during earlier rounds of negotiations. Analysts suggest that this allows him to retain political distance from the outcome of the talks, while still exercising indirect control through his appointed representatives.
No formal agenda has been published, and it remains unclear whether the talks are intended as exploratory or part of a structured negotiation process. Russian and Ukrainian delegations last met for in-person discussions in 2022, also in Turkey, though those efforts ultimately failed to produce a lasting ceasefire or political resolution.
The Kremlin’s announcement has attracted international attention, but there has been no indication of Western participation or observation. The talks are expected to proceed behind closed doors, with limited public disclosure anticipated.
While the resumption of dialogue may be interpreted by some as a tentative diplomatic overture, there is, as yet, no indication of any major shift in the positions held by either side. The conflict in Ukraine continues, with no ceasefire in place and no political settlement on the horizon.
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