London

London
Rubio Touches Down in Istanbul as Ukraine Peace Talks Rescheduled for Friday | World | london-news-net.preview-domain.com

Rubio Touches Down in Istanbul as Ukraine Peace Talks Rescheduled for Friday

Rubio Touches Down in Istanbul as Ukraine Peace Talks Rescheduled for Friday

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has landed in Istanbul as negotiations are set to commence in an effort to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Originally scheduled for Thursday, the talks were postponed to Friday to give time for the Ukrainian delegation’s arrival.

While Rubio is not anticipated to partake in the first round of face-to-face discussions between Russia and Ukraine, he mentioned that he and other U.S. officials would hold separate meetings with representatives from Ukraine and Turkey in the morning.

Michael Anton, the Director for Policy Planning, will represent the United States in lower-level discussions with the Russian delegation on Friday, according to U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.

Sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry indicated that a meeting involving Turkish, U.S., and Ukrainian officials is set for 10:45 a.m. local time, followed by discussions among Turkish, Russian, and Ukrainian delegations at 12:30 p.m.

On Thursday, Rubio engaged with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha in Antalya during a NATO meeting. The U.S. Secretary expressed that Washington’s patience was wearing thin regarding the stalled peace initiatives and was now receptive to “virtually any mechanism” that might facilitate a breakthrough.

“I don’t think – we don’t have high expectations of what will transpire tomorrow. Frankly, it’s clear that the only way to achieve a breakthrough is through discussions between President Trump and President Putin,” Rubio told reporters in Antalya.

These comments were made shortly after President Donald Trump, who is on a Middle Eastern tour this week, stated, “nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together.” Trump mentioned on Friday that he would return to Washington, D.C. after previously considering attending the negotiations in Turkey if President Putin agreed to participate.

The Kremlin leader declined President Zelensky’s invitation for a personal meeting during the negotiations, instead designating his aide and former culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, to lead the discussions. Medinsky had also overseen Russia’s 2022 peace talks with Ukraine, which ultimately fell through.

Putin suggested direct talks with Kyiv in a surprise address from the Kremlin early Sunday morning, effectively dismissing a Western-supported 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine that was intended to begin this week.

Reports included contributions from Reuters and AFP.

Related posts

Russian Ruble Dips After EU Unveils New Sanctions on Energy and Banks Текст: The Russian ruble tumbled sharply on Wednesday, erasing part of its recent gains as investors reacted to fresh concerns over Western sanctions and weakening oil export revenues. The dollar surged nearly 3% in a few hours on the Moscow Exchange, climbing from 78.2 rubles in early trading to 80.49 by 1:45 p.m. local time. The euro jumped above 91 rubles, while the Chinese yuan rose almost 2% to 11.04 rubles. By late afternoon, the ruble had regained some ground, with the dollar retreating to 79.65 and the euro to 91.39. The ruble has been one of the world’s best-performing currencies in 2025, gaining roughly 40% since January. But analysts say the sharp pullback may signal a turning point. Its decline on Wednesday “may be tied to discussions in the EU about a new package of sanctions targeting Russian financial institutions and energy exports,” said Natalia Milchakova, a senior analyst at Freedom Finance Global. A proposed 18th round of EU sanctionsintroducedby the European Commission on Tuesday includes plans to disconnect 22 more Russian banks from the SWIFT global payment system, blacklist dozens of tankers involved in circumventing oil trade restrictions and ban transactions with the Nord Stream gas pipelines. The measures would also lower the price cap on Russian crude exports from $60 to $45 per barrel. Under the cap mechanism, oil sold above the limit would be ineligible for Western insurance and transport services — a move aimed at squeezing revenue from Russian energy exports. Experts warn that these measures, if adopted by the United States and G7 allies, could deliver the most serious blow to Russian oil exports since the European embargo imposed in late 2022. Sanctions have already sidelined much of the Kremlin’s “shadow fleet,” and if the price cap is lowered, Greek shipping firms — which have been instrumental in transporting Russian oil — may exit the market altogether, the Moscow-based Institute for Energy and Finance said. As a result, a noticeable reduction in seaborne oil exports from Russia is likely … and the Russian budget may face an even greater reduction in oil revenues in the second half of this year, the IEF wrote. The ruble is also under seasonal pressure, as exporters appear to have slowed their conversion of foreign currency earnings ahead of the Russia Day holiday weekend, Reuters reported. At the same time, Yevgeny Kogan, a Russian investment banker, said demand for foreign currency may have risen ahead of the long weekend. Adding to the pressure is a decline in oil revenues, which remain the backbone of Russia’s export economy. The average price of Urals crude fell to $52 per barrel in May compared to $66 in January, according to the Economic Development Ministry. That figure represents the lowest level in more than two years. Some analysts believe the ruble’s current weakness may be a harbinger of a more prolonged decline. Kogan predicted the currency could continue to weaken in June and July. Sofya Donets, chief economist at T-Investments,saidpressures could intensify into August, potentially pushing the exchange rate beyond 90 rubles to the dollar. The government-linked Center for Macroeconomic Analysis and Short-Term Forecastingwarnedthat the ruble could experience an “overshoot” in the opposite direction, reversing its earlier gains with a potentially steep depreciation. “The more overvalued the ruble is now,” the group said, “the more vulnerable it is to a sharp correction.”

rimmaruslan98@gmail.com

Russias Bold Demands in Its Peace Proposal to End the Conflict with Ukraine

rimmaruslan98@gmail.com

U.S. Drafts Ukraine Ceasefire Plan Including Potential Sanctions Relief for Russia, Sources Say

rimmaruslan98@gmail.com

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More