Russia, Ukraine Coordinate New Istanbul Peace Talks Amid U.S. Arms Freeze
MOSCOW — Russia and Ukraine are actively coordinating the scheduling of a third round of peace negotiations in Istanbul, with both sides awaiting timeline proposals from one another, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Thursday. He stressed that there are no obstacles in the process, only pending procedural steps.
“There are no blockages; we just need to finalize coordination. Each side is waiting for the other’s proposal,” Peskov said during a briefing, emphasizing that the contents of a draft peace memorandum remain confidential to avoid jeopardizing the process.
The announcement comes as the U.S. has suspended several arms deliveries to Ukraine, including Patriot missile systems—a development Moscow is watching closely. Peskov suggested that supply chain strains due to parallel shipments to the Zionist entity and Ukraine are hindering U.S. defense production.
“The fewer rockets that arrive from abroad, the closer the end of the special military operation,” he added, repeating Moscow’s stance that continued foreign arms prolong the conflict.
Russia and Ukraine previously held two negotiation rounds in Istanbul that yielded humanitarian breakthroughs, including major prisoner exchanges. President Vladimir Putin stated last month that a third round will proceed once earlier agreements are fully implemented.
