After days of uncertainty, Ukrainian and Russian negotiators met directly in Istanbul for peace talks. These conversations, teh first as the war began, led to an agreement for a significant exchange of prisoners of war.

Key Outcomes of the Istanbul Talks

• Prisoner Exchange: Both sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners each in the near future.
• Ceasefire Discussions: While a prisoner exchange was agreed upon,negotiations for a ceasefire did not succeed,highlighting the distance between the two parties on ending the conflict.

Russian Demands and Stumbling Blocks

During the talks, the russian delegation stated that Kyiv must withdraw entirely from the four eastern Ukrainian regions that Moscow annexed in late 2022 to achieve a ceasefire, according to a Turkish official familiar with the conversations. ukraine still controls substantial portions of this territory, including two regional capitals.

These demands have raised concerns that Moscow’s expectations are unrealistic and have cast doubt on President Vladimir Putin’s willingness to end the war, despite his claims of battlefield success.

Putin aims to maintain the attention of U.S.President Donald Trump, who has promised closer ties between Moscow and Washington, and to convince the White House that he is not obstructing the peace in Ukraine that Trump pledged as a candidate.

Though, Putin also seeks a surrender from Ukraine, both on the battlefield and in negotiations, after more than three years of large-scale war.

Next Steps and Statements

The delegations agreed to draft and share conditions that would enable a ceasefire, according to Turkish Foreign minister Hakan Fidan. The Ukrainians and Russians also agreed to meet again in principle, Fidan added.

We agreed that each party would present its vision of a possible high to the future fire and expose it in detail. After this vision occurs, we believe that it would also be appropriate to agree to continue our conversations in this regard.
Vladimir Medinski, Kremlin’s assistant at the head of the Russian delegation

Medinski also stated that those who believe a ceasefire should precede peace talks are historically misinformed, arguing that war and negotiations, as a rule, always occur simultaneously.

Medinski acknowledged Ukraine’s request for direct negotiations between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodimir zelenski, but made no promises to arrange such a meeting.

Zelenski’s Perspective and International Pressure

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that the teams discussed the exchange of prisoners, a ceasefire, and the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders.

at this time, we would like to reiterate that Ukraine wants peace. We can and we are able to continue fighting, but after all, we need to end this war.
Rustem Umerov, Ukrainian Defense Minister

Zelenski, during a summit in Albania, accused Putin of fear to meet him in person and called the Istanbul conversations a staging and empty process. He demanded new sanctions against the energy sector and Russian banks until Moscow engaged in serious diplomacy.

The pressure must continue to increase until real advances occur.
Volodimir Zelenski,Ukrainian President

French President Emmanuel Macron echoed this sentiment,calling for greater pressure from Europeans and Americans on Russia to achieve a ceasefire.

Zelenski and Macron, along with leaders from the United Kingdom, Germany, and Poland, held a telephone conversation with Trump.

Trump’s Role and U.S.Stance

while initially encouraging the talks, Trump downplayed their importance, suggesting that nothing substantial would happen until he personally met with Putin. He later stated he could call the Russian leader and meet with him as soon as we can organize it.

U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that no progress would occur until a meeting between the leaders of the United States and Russia was held.

I don’t think anything productive is going to happen from now on until they start a frank and direct conversation, which I know that President Trump is willing to have.
Marco Rubio, U.S. Secretary of State

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri S. Peskov agreed that a meeting between Russian and American leaders was necessary but emphasized the need for careful preparation.

Rubio traveled to Istanbul, meeting separately with Ukrainian and Russian officials, but did not stay for the direct conversations.

Vatican’s Offer

Pope Leo XIV offered to host future conversations between Ukraine and Russia in the Vatican. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s Secretary of State, described the Vatican as an appropriate place for peace talks.