Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced Friday the Russian delegation is scheduled to depart for Istanbul and will be ready to begin a new round of talks with Ukraine on Monday morning.
The Kremlin expects both Russian and Ukrainian draft peace memorandums to be reviewed during tupcoming negotiations, but Russia will not reveal its memorandum to the public, Peskov said.
Peskov added that the two sides will discuss conditions for a potential temporary truce, with safe navigation in the Black Sea likely to be a key component of any future agreement.
He also noted that high-level contacts between Russian, U.S., and Ukrainian leaders are possible, depending on the outcome of the talks.
During a joint press conference with visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on the same day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine intends to continue peace talks with Russia, and expects to receive Russia's draft peace memorandum ahead of Monday's meeting.
Sybiha said Ukraine wants to end the war this year and is ready to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire with Russia. He also said Ukraine welcomes U.S. President Donald Trump's participation in the meeting between Ukrainian and Russian leaders.
Fidan, who visited Russia earlier this week and is in Kiev on Friday, said Türkiye hopes to host Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the next round of peace talks after Monday's meeting, which would also include U.S. President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
On May 16, Russia and Ukraine held their first face-to-face negotiations since March 2022 in Istanbul, with the two sides agreeing to a large-scale exchange of prisoners involving 1,000 people from each side.
Russia, Ukraine expected to discuss peace memorandums in Istanbul: Kremlin
Russia, Ukraine expected to discuss peace memorandums in Istanbul: Kremlin
Russia, Ukraine expected to discuss peace memorandums in Istanbul: Kremlin
Iraq has seen its aviation industry dealt a huge blow because of continued airspace closures and flight suspensions amid regional hostilities triggered by the recent Israeli-U.S. strikes on Iran.
As security concerns persist while tensions remain high, Iraq announced on Friday it would extend the closure of its airspace for one more week as uncertainty over the conflict continues to hang in the air.
It is estimated that the country's aviation industry has lost more than 43 million U.S. dollars over the past month since the crisis erupted, with the war causing huge disruption to air travel across the region.
"After the closure of Iraqi airspace, airport operations were halted, and revenue from both arriving and departing flights was lost. This includes income from passenger services as well as overflying aircraft, which has significantly impacted overall revenues," said Maytham al-Safi, director of media office of the Iraqi Ministry of Transport.
The impact is being felt across the board, from government revenues to private businesses, as some of the leading travel agencies say bookings have completely collapsed, with some reporting daily passenger numbers dropping from around 100 to just five.
"Our company has been directly affected. We have four branches and around 80 employees, and the impact has been significant. We still have rent and other expenses to cover, so we are trying to adapt to whatever limited business is still possible," said Ahmed Khalid, managing director of the Safari Trip travel and tourism company in Baghdad.
With air travel no longer an option, many Iraqis are turning to overland routes -- often traveling for hours, even days, to reach neighboring countries like Türkiye. But the journey is not only longer and more expensive, it can also be highly risky.
"This situation creates real anxiety for families. It's not only the travelers who are at risk, but also the vehicles transporting them. These journeys can be dangerous. There is always the risk of accidents or even drone strikes. At the same time, costs have doubled, so people are facing both financial and safety pressures," said Anwar al-Mousawi, a local resident.
For many, a sense of frustration is growing the longer the current situation drags on, as civilians bear the consequences of a conflict they are not part of, and with no clear timeline for reopening Iraqi airspace, economic losses and public frustration are expected to deepen.
"The reality is, we are in a country that is not part of this war and did not start it, yet we are the ones paying the price," said al-Mousawi.
Iraq's aviation industry left grounded as Middle East crisis continues
