The Russian and Ukrainian delegations arrived at Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, where the next round of talks is scheduled.
According to media reports, the Russian side is hoping for the first milestone result in talks with Ukraine in Istanbul, a Russian source familiar with the negotiation process told TASS on Tuesday.
"We are hoping for the first milestone landmark result," the source said.
According to him, if the final result isn’t reached today, the talks will continue in a video conference format. "I think that we will move forward quickly," the source added.
Before the start of the talks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the parties. According to him, the situation in Ukraine worries Turkey, which is a neighbor and friend of Russia and Ukraine. Erdogan called for a ceasefire. According to him, it is time for the Russian-Ukrainian talks to yield results.
The Turkish President also expressed hope that the talks would facilitate a meeting between the Presidents of Russia and Ukraine, and said that Turkey was ready to host such a meeting.
“As a country that has seen much suffering in its region we have been working hard for preventing such a situation in the north of the Black Sea. We do believe that in a fair peace agreement there will be no losers. The sides are obliged to stop this tragedy. Everybody is interested in the early establishment of ceasefire. We believe that we have entered a period where negotiations should produce concrete results. The world is looking forward to good news. We are ready to make any contribution that will facilitate your work,” the Turkish leader said while addressing the Russian and Ukrainian delegates at his office Dolmabahçe in Istanbul.
