A Phone call between Lavrov and Rubio on the eve of talks with Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone with his US counterpart Marco Rubio, discussing in particular the new round of talks with Ukraine scheduled for Istanbul on Monday, the Russian foreign ministry said.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday that they discussed the situation related to the Ukrainian crisis.
The two officials exchanged views on various initiatives aimed at reaching a political settlement to the Ukrainian crisis, particularly plans to resume direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul on June 2.
The call also took place on the same day that Ukraine launched an unprecedented drone attack targeting Russian military airports.
Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio have held several phone conversations in recent weeks.
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations are scheduled to hold talks in Istanbul on Monday, following their unsuccessful first meeting on May 16.
A Ukrainian political delegation arrived in Istanbul to participate in the second round of peace negotiations with the Russian delegation, scheduled for Monday.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tekhy announced in a statement that the Ukrainian delegation arrived in Istanbul on Monday morning.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had appointed a delegation headed by Defense Minister Rustam Umarov to participate in peace negotiations aimed at ending the war.
On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that his country had offered Ukraine a new round of negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, and that Vladimir Medinsky, advisor to the Russian president, would lead the delegation.
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Sunday for a complete and unconditional ceasefire, which is a call that Moscow has so far rejected.
US President Donald Trump, who promised during his election campaign to quickly end the conflict, is trying to push the two sides to reach an agreement as soon as possible.
But despite diplomatic efforts, the positions of Russia and Ukraine appear far apart at the moment.
The Russian foreign ministry said, that Marco Rubio offered his sincere condolences to the civilian victims in the two train accidents caused by the collapse of two bridges in Russia on Sunday.
Russian authorities reported that at least seven people were killed in the two incidents, explaining that they are investigating the suspicion that they were “terrorist acts”.
The two incidents occurred in the Kursk and Bryansk regions bordering Ukraine, and there is no evidence so far of a connection to Kyiv.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said that the authorities are conducting a very thorough investigation.
The statement added, “The perpetrators will be identified without a doubt and punished with the punishment they deserve”.
