On May 15, President Volodymyr Zelensky approved the composition of the Ukrainian delegation for negotiations with Russia in Istanbul, aimed at achieving lasting peace.

This was confirmed by decree No. 306/2025 published on the president's official website.

The delegation will be headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, as previously announced. The delegation members include:

• Serhiy Kyslytsia – First Deputy Foreign Minister;
• Oleksandr Poklad – Deputy Head of the Security Service;
• Oleh Luhovskyi – First Deputy Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service;
• Oleksiy Shevchenko – Deputy Chief of the General Staff;
• Vadym Skibitskyi – Deputy Head of the Main Intelligence Directorate;
• Yevhen Shinkarov – Deputy Chief of the Air Force Command;
• Oleksandr Diakov – Deputy Chief of the Naval Forces Command;
• Oleksiy Malovatskyi – Head of the International and Operational Law Department;
• Oleksandr Sherikhov – Senior Officer of the Main Operations Directorate;
• Heorhiy Kuzmychov – Protocol Officer;
• Oleksandr Bevz – Advisor to the President's Office Head.

The president's decree also allows the head of the delegation to make changes in consultation with him and approves confidential negotiation directives.

It is noteworthy that President Volodymyr Zelensky has traveled to Ankara, anticipating the arrival of Vladimir Putin.

However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Putin will not attend the talks in Istanbul with the Ukrainian delegation. Instead, Russia sent a low-level delegation led by Putin's aide Vladimir Medinsky.

In light of this, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sees no chances for breakthroughs in the negotiations between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations in Istanbul.