The first face-to-face peace talks between Russia and Ukraine since the early days of the 2022 invasion concluded in under two hours on Friday. While both parties agreed to a significant prisoner exchange—1,000 POWs each—they made little headway on critical issues, especially the demand for a ceasefire.
Ukraine, with backing from Western allies, insists on a temporary truce as a prerequisite for further peace efforts, but the Kremlin has resisted.
Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhii said Russia hasn’t agreed to silence weapons, calling that a basic requirement for meaningful talks. Despite this, Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky described the outcome as positive and said further dialogue was possible.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy discussed the negotiations with U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders, urging strong sanctions on Russia if it continues to reject an unconditional ceasefire. Ukrainian officials revealed that Russia introduced new, unacceptable demands during the meeting, including calls for Ukraine to pull back from large parts of its territory—proposals not previously on the table.
The delegations sat face-to-face at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace but remained sharply divided. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan opened the meeting with a plea for an immediate ceasefire and later praised the prisoner swap as a trust-building step. The parties reportedly agreed to continue discussions, with Ukraine calling for a future meeting between heads of state.
While Trump has shown interest in a summit with President Putin, Kremlin officials warned that arranging such a meeting would require time. Meanwhile, Russia is reportedly preparing for a new offensive, and Ukrainian officials remain skeptical about real progress.
Zelenskyy met with European leaders in Albania to solidify diplomatic and defense coordination.
EU leaders signaled potential new sanctions against Russia if no progress is made.
The human toll remains staggering, with over 12,000 Ukrainian civilians killed and entire towns destroyed, according to the U.N. As the war drags on, hope for peace remains fragile, but some Ukrainian soldiers believe a resolution—however tenuous—could emerge before year’s end.
