Russia-Ukraine peace talks resume. Experts: Putin stalling for concessions
Russian and Ukrainian delegations are scheduled to meet in Istanbul today. The Kremlin's delegation for these direct negotiations, proposed by President Putin, includes lower-level officials. This group consists of an aide to the president, two deputy ministers, and two officials from the Russian military intelligence agency (GRU). Some members of this delegation were also part of the Russian team that negotiated with Ukraine shortly after the invasion began in March 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he would not personally participate in the talks but would instead send a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, according to The Kyiv Independent.