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Russia reportedly threatened to seize Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy regions during Istanbul talks
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During negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul, the Russian delegation threatened to seize the Kharkiv and Sumy regions, according to Economist correspondent Oliver Carroll, citing a “well-placed” source.
According to the source, the Russian delegation said Moscow would agree to a ceasefire only if Ukraine withdrew its forces from the four regions Russia claims to have annexed (Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia).
“Moscow also threatened to seize two more [regions]: Kharkiv and Sumy,” Carroll wrote.
He reported that Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation, said Russia does not “want war,” but is “ready to fight for a year, two, three — however long it takes.” According to Carroll, Medinsky added, “We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?”
Carroll also cited another statement attributed to Medinsky: “Maybe some of those sitting here at this table will lose more of their loved ones. Russia is prepared to fight forever.”
Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko also reported that the Russian side had threatened to seize the Sumy region during the talks.
After the negotiations concluded, neither delegation publicly mentioned any threats. Both Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, head of the Ukrainian delegation, said the two sides had agreed to carry out a prisoner exchange in the coming days involving 1,000 people from each side.
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