Listen to the article
Russia has proposed holding a second round of peace talks with Ukraine on June 02 in Istanbul, as tensions rise over Germany’s decision to support the joint production of long-range missiles on Ukrainian soil.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the Kremlin has offered both a date and location for further negotiations and is awaiting Kyiv’s response. Vladimir Putin’s chief envoy, Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed direct contact with Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and said Moscow’s delegation is ready to meet “in the coming days” to exchange memoranda on a potential settlement.
Lavrov’s comments came just hours after newly appointed German Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to help Ukraine manufacture long-range missiles. While Merz did not confirm whether Germany would provide its Taurus missile system, which is capable of striking targets 500km away, he said there were “no longer” any restrictions on the range of weapons Western allies could supply.
A memorandum of understanding is expected to be signed by the German and Ukrainian defence ministries this week. Chancellor Merz, who has taken a more assertive line than his predecessor, also vowed continued support for Ukraine “for as long as necessary”, warning that Moscow’s refusal to engage in peace talks would carry “real consequences”.
The Kremlin reacted angrily to Berlin’s announcement, accusing it of escalating the conflict.
Lavrov told Russian state media that Germany was “already a participant in the war” and urged leaders in Berlin to “stop the madness”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the move as a “dangerous shift” that could harm efforts to reach a political solution.
While Lavrov indicated a decision on the next round of peace talks would be confirmed “in the very near future”, Ukraine has accused Moscow of stalling. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia has yet to deliver a promised memorandum following the first round of direct talks in Istanbul earlier this month, which resulted only in a limited prisoner exchange.
Zelensky has also suggested a high-level summit involving “Trump, Putin and me”, though the Kremlin said such a meeting could only follow concrete progress between the two delegations.
Former United States President Donald Trump, who has shown interest in mediating, this week accused Russia of “playing with fire” following a deadly missile strike that killed 13 civilians, including children.
On the battlefield, Ukraine’s military reported one of its largest drone offensives to date this week, while facing increased Russian attacks in the northeast. Ukrainian officials say Moscow is massing more than 50,000 troops along the Sumy front, with several villages already seized in a renewed push to establish what President Putin calls a “security buffer zone”.
