Putin Approves Composition of Russia's Delegation for Negotiations

The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, has approved the composition of the Russian delegation for negotiations with Ukraine. The Kremlin's website reports that the Russian President has signed an order regarding the "composition of the Russian Federation's delegation for negotiations with Ukraine."

"The following composition of the Russian Federation's delegation has been approved for negotiations with Ukraine: Vladimir Medinsky, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation (head of the delegation), Mikhail Galuzin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (delegation member), Igor Kostyukov, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (delegation member), and Alexander Fomin, Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation (delegation member)," the statement said.

The composition of experts has also been confirmed. This includes: A.S. Zorin, First Deputy Head of the Information Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, E.S. Podobrevskaia, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration's Humanitarian Policy Department, A.A. Polishchuk, Director of the Second Department for the Commonwealth of Independent States at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and V.I. Shevtsov, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

The order of the President of the Russian Federation takes effect from the date of signing. It is worth recalling that earlier, President Putin had proposed to resume direct negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul without preconditions on May 15. The Russian leader did not rule out that during the respective negotiations, the parties could reach an agreement on a ceasefire.