Russia proposes a new round of talks with Ukraine next Monday in Istanbul.

BerlinThe Kremlin has proposed holding a second round of negotiations with Ukraine next Monday, June 2, in Istanbul, where it plans to submit its memorandum outlining the conditions for a future ceasefire agreement. "The Russian side, as we agreed, has promptly prepared a corresponding memorandum outlining our position on all aspects of reliably overcoming the root causes of the crisis," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday.

He specified that the Russian delegation will be led by Kremlin advisor Vladimir Medinsky. Kiev and its European partners had proposed continuing the talks in Switzerland or the Vatican, but Lavrov expressed his gratitude to Turkey for its "hospitality." after hosting the first meeting on May 16.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this morning in a meeting with reporters that his government is prepared for future talks in any format. He stated that he expects the next round to be at the technical level, but also made it clear that he would be willing to hold a three-way meeting with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US president has said he is "very disappointed" in the Kremlin leader for the continued attacks on Ukraine and has set a two-week deadline to determine whether Putin has a real intention of reaching a peace agreement. "We'll know in about two weeks whether he's giving us the runaround or not. If he is, we'll respond a little differently," Trump said. "What I can say is I'm very disappointed by what happened a couple of nights ago, when people were killed in the middle of what we would call a negotiation. I'm very, very disappointed," he remarked.

A future Russian offensive?

In addition to the missile and drone attacks, Zelensky warned that these diplomatic moves are taking place as Russia prepares its military for a summer offensive in northeastern Ukraine. He said Moscow has deployed more than 50,000 troops near the border of Ukraine's Sumi region in an attempt to create a 10-kilometer-deep cushion zone inside Ukraine in this area, a stated goal of Putin.

Zelensky has said Russia is massing its best troops in the Kursk region, which borders Sumi, after Ukrainian troops They had to withdraw from most of this Russian province which they captured last summer. "Their largest and most powerful forces are currently on the Kursk front," he warned the Ukrainian leader, "to expel our troops from the (Russian) region and prepare offensive actions against the Sumi region."

The Ukrainian president has assured that his army has taken measures to prevent a large-scale offensive by Moscow, and has said that Russian soldiers have retreated about four kilometers in two days in this area. However, this Wednesday the Russian army reported that it has captured at least four towns in the Sumi province. Last week, Putin declared that his forces They are creating a security zone on the border with Ukraine, which would include territory in both Sumy and Kharkiv.

Visit to Berlin

The Ukrainian leader made these statements before traveling to Berlin, where he was received with military honors by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took over the reins of the federal government in early May. The chancellor has promised that Berlin will help Kiev manufacture long-range missiles so it can better defend itself against Russian aggression.

"Ukrainians are defending their lives, their country, and their freedom. With great sacrifices, they are also defending the security of Europe against Russia's militant revisionism," Merz said at a press conference with Zelensky. "We will continue our military support and expand it so that Ukraine can continue to defend itself now and in the future against this Russian aggression," the chancellor explained.

Merz declined to comment at the press conference on a possible supply of the controversial Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine, as Kiev has long called for. The conservative politician had promised during the election campaign to supply the Ukrainian army with these missiles, which have a range of 500 kilometers. His predecessor, Social Democrat Olaf Scholz had refused to hand them over. for fear that Moscow would interpret its use as a direct involvement of Germany in the conflict.

What Merz has announced is an agreement for the production of long-range weapons systems in Ukraine, without specifying what type. "There will be no range restrictions, allowing Ukraine to fully defend itself, even against military targets outside its own territory," he explained, adding that the production of long-range weapons "can take place both in Ukraine and here in Germany."

The German government also announced an agreement between Ukraine and the German arms industry. "A considerable number of long-range weapon systems are expected to be produced by 2025. They will be quickly available to the Ukrainian armed forces, and the first ones can be used within a few weeks," without the need for additional training for soldiers, the German Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Germany will continue to supply ammunition and air defense systems. In addition, Berlin will provide Kiev with additional ground-based weapons systems and small arms, satellite communications services, and will fund medical equipment. This aid to the Ukrainian armed forces amounts to around €5 billion. "The money comes from funds already approved by the Bundestag," Berlin said.

"A slap in the face" from Putin

Zelensky's visit to Berlin came amid an escalation of Russian bombings, primarily targeting the Ukrainian capital, despite Washington-led efforts to end the war. "Deaths, injuries, massive destruction... Although Ukraine and many Western countries have long advocated for a ceasefire between Kiev and Moscow, Putin's Russia is launching the most serious drone attacks against Ukraine since the start of the Russian war of aggression," the German chancellor denounced.

Merz considered these Russian airstrikes "a slap in the face to all those fighting for a ceasefire," not only in Ukraine but also in Europe and the United States. "Ukraine is ready to take the next step and hold technical talks with Russia, regardless of the location, whether in the Vatican, Geneva, or any other neutral location. We Europeans are ready to support these talks," he reiterated.