(23 Jul 2025)
RESTRICTIONS SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kyiv, Ukraine – 22 July 2025
1. Wide of the St. Michael Square
2. Mid of destroyed Russian tank
3. Close-up of a Ukrainian flag
4. Various of Ukrainian political analyst Oleh Saakian speaking to AP journalist
5. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleh Saakian, Ukrainian political analyst:
"It is necessary to understand that the Istanbul format is not a classic negotiation, it is more like consultations on launching negotiations. The Russians want to see it as negotiations and therefore say that there are clear directives, a memorandum, etc. The Ukrainian side argues that negotiations can only take place between leaders, because only Putin decides the issue, but these consultations themselves and this format continue as a performance for one spectator, for Trump."
6. Mid of St. Michael Church
7. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleh Saakian, Ukrainian political analyst:
"I do not expect any breakthroughs from the Istanbul format, they cannot be simple even from the point of view of the architecture of this format, and from the point of view of the context in which it regulates and why it is being rebuilt. The only thing that can move is the humanitarian track, along which I really hope that there will be agreements on new prisoner exchanges. This is extremely important, and this is what forces Ukraine to go to Istanbul and simulate the negotiation process. Because Ukraine needs our citizens and Russia understands this perfectly well, and this is the hook from which Ukraine, understanding that it is a hook, cannot jump off it. In everything else, Ukraine will only seek a bilateral meeting with Putin and no other agreements can be reached in Istanbul."
8. Close-up of Ukrainian flags
9. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleh Saakian, Ukrainian political analyst:
"In Istanbul, there is no real decision-making on the part of Russia, there are no people who are capable of making them. This format is imitative, Russia is stalling for time and winning time by imitating its constructiveness so that sanctions do not intensify, in order to disorient Ukraine’s support groups, in order to create different messages. Ukraine is forced to participate there because there are exchanges of prisoners and bodies, which is extremely important for us, even domestically politically and culturally. And secondly, because there is Trump, who at any opportunity can always say "but they are all the same there", and put the responsibility no less on the victim than on the aggressor."
10. Wide of people walking
11. SOUNDBITE (Ukrainian) Oleh Saakian, Ukrainian political analyst:
"I think that Istanbul will exhaust itself from the moment Trump takes a certain position, most likely by putting pressure on Russia and helping Ukraine. This is where the internal American situation is heading, and this is the corridor of action in which Trump will have to act. At this point, Istanbul will lose all meaning, because for Russia it is stalling time, to prevent this from happening, to postpone it. For half a year now, they have managed to postpone this precisely under the pretext of Istanbul, and Trump could come out and say that "look, we are waiting for the next round, and maybe something will happen." And for Ukraine, Istanbul then loses its meaning because they have reached the moment when a change of positions has finally occurred, and they do not place responsibility on Ukraine, and Trump has not shrugged off responsibility, or vice versa."
12. Various of destroyed Russian vehicles
13. Various of St. Michael church
STORYLINE:
AP video by Vasilisa Stepanenko
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