In a tense and short-lived meeting in Istanbul, Russia reportedly insisted that Ukraine pull its military forces out of four occupied regions before any ceasefire agreement could be reached, according to a senior Ukrainian official who spoke with Reuters.
The peace talks, held on Friday, were the first face-to-face negotiations between the two countries since March 2022, when Russia’s full-scale invasion began. The meeting lasted only an hour and 40 minutes, resulting in just one agreement: a prisoner swap of 1,000 detainees from each side. However, no timeline was provided for this exchange.
The Ukrainian official claimed that Moscow demanded a complete withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions—territories that Russia claims as its own. Only then, the Russians said, would a ceasefire be considered.
These conditions go beyond the scope of a recent peace proposal drafted by the United States after consulting both sides. While Ukraine and its Western allies continue to press for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days, Russia appears to be raising the stakes.
When asked about these demands, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to confirm or deny them. He insisted that negotiations should remain confidential and suggested that further progress would depend on the successful execution of the prisoner exchange. Peskov did hint that a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy might be possible, but only if certain—unspecified—agreements are met.
Earlier in the week, Zelenskiy had challenged Putin to meet him in person, a move that was publicly ignored by the Kremlin.
Meanwhile, the war continues to exact a heavy toll. On Saturday, a Russian drone strike in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy killed nine civilians traveling on a bus. Zelenskiy called it a “deliberate killing” and urged the international community to impose tougher sanctions on Moscow. Russia, however, claimed the strike targeted a military site.
Pressure is also mounting from the United States, where President Donald Trump has criticized the conflict as “this stupid war.” He’s reportedly warned that unless Ukraine and Russia show meaningful progress toward peace, the U.S. may stop its mediation efforts altogether. Trump also stated that no deal would move forward until he meets with Putin personally—a summit Russia says would require careful planning.
European leaders remain skeptical of Russia’s intentions. French President Emmanuel Macron labeled the talks “fruitless,” and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the EU is preparing a new round of sanctions. However, after three years of escalating measures, many question whether there’s much more that sanctions can realistically achieve.
Turkey, which hosted the Istanbul meeting, has reaffirmed its commitment to mediating between the two nations, even as the path to peace remains uncertain and politically charged.
