Reuters: Russia demanded in the morning to change the format of the meeting in Istanbul

During the talks taking place in Istanbul today, the Russian delegation has made demands to change the format of the meeting with representatives of Ukraine, Reuters has reported, citing a source in the Ukrainian delegation who called Moscow's actions an attempt to sabotage the peace process. This was reported by Reuters, citing a source in the Ukrainian delegation, who described Moscow's actions as an attempt to sabotage the peace process.

According to the agency, the Russian side insisted that neither representatives of the USA should take part in the talks, although their participation was not planned, nor representatives of Turkey, the host country and acting as a mediator, should be present at the meeting.

Some Russian media outlets claimed that the Turkish representative would limit himself to an opening speech, and further negotiations would take place exclusively between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations. However, there has been no official confirmation of this information from Ankara or Kiev.

This is another indication that Moscow is not interested in progress. We came to the meeting with concrete proposals and the intention to have a constructive dialogue, and the Russians are presenting new conditions. This calls into question whether Putin has really given them a mandate to find solutions or just wants to delay the process," the agency's source said on condition of anonymity.

According to him, the Russian side's behaviour indicates an attempt to slow down the negotiation process by hiding behind formal demands.