The Russian delegation is participating in peace talks in Istanbul not with the aim of reaching peace, but to create the illusion of a peacekeeping stance and to avoid new sanctions from the U.S. and the European Union. This was stated by First Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsya. “For various reasons, these talks (in Istanbul on June 2 — ed.) were necessary for the Russian side, the Ukrainian side, and the Turkish side. But they were needed more by the Russian side than even by us, because their top priority these weeks is to do everything possible to prevent the launch of new sanctions. That is their main goal — achieving a ceasefire or establishing peace is nowhere near their agenda,” the diplomat said.