Lavrov and Fidan Discuss Putin's Proposal

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed President Vladimir Putin's proposal for starting negotiations on Ukraine in Istanbul on May 15, during a phone call, the Russian diplomatic agency reports.

"The heads of foreign policy agencies discussed issues related to the Russian president's initiative to commence direct negotiations on Ukrainian settlement in Istanbul on May 15," the message posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's Telegram channel states.

On May 11, Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a speech to representatives of Russian and foreign media, proposing to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul without preconditions on May 15.