US Advises Kyiv

The US President's Special Representative for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has advised Kyiv against making statements regarding the refusal to negotiate with Russia. In an interview on ABC News, he was asked to comment on the Ukrainian side's statements about being willing to forgo a new round of negotiations with Moscow if Russia does not provide Kyiv with a memorandum on the resolution of the conflict.

"I spoke with Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who will head the delegation in the upcoming negotiations in Istanbul, and he also has not yet seen the Russian memorandum. But I always warn, do not say such things; you need to show that you are serious," Kellogg stated.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has announced the second phase of negotiations with Ukraine, scheduled to take place in Istanbul on June 2.