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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Russian expert said on Friday that it is very difficult to find common ground for a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war.
"Finding common ground will be very difficult because today, both sides are very far from understanding each other's positions. Of course, much depends on how the two world leaders, Putin and Trump, view the solution to this conflict," Sergey Panteleev, founder of the Institute of the Russian Diaspora, told Rudaw on Friday.
On Friday, before Russian and Ukrainian delegations had their first direct talks in more than three years at the Turkish president's office, the Ukrainian delegation met with Turkish and American parties.
In the evening, the head of the Russian delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, announced the results of the talks, stating that both sides agreed on several points including: the exchange of prisoners in the near future, arranging a meeting between the presidents of both countries, and presenting mechanisms and details of a possible ceasefire. But no information was given about the date and location of future talks.
Bogdan Bespalko, a member of the Presidium of the Russian Presidential Council for International Relations, said US President Donald Trump might stop trying to mediate.
"Trump might withdraw. And for Russia, Trump's withdrawal from this conflict means the end of military support for Ukraine - sending weapons and ammunition, military equipment, and financial and economic assistance," he said.
He noted that if the US withdraws from the talks "it will not support Ukraine and will throw the entire burden of support onto European countries."
Kamiz Shadadi contributed to this article.
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