Direct peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia resume in Istanbul on Thursday, marking the first high-level talks since March 2022. The discussions, mediated by Turkey, unfolded under heightened tensions as both sides reiterated entrenched demands.
Vladimir Medinsky, head of the Russian delegation and presidential adviser, opened the session by asserting Moscow’s “commitment to serious negotiations” aimed at addressing the “root causes” of the conflict. He emphasised that Russia’s delegation operates under President Putin’s guidelines, which prioritise “sustainable peace” based on the 2022 Istanbul draft agreement, a reference to Ukraine’s abandoned neutrality pledge and territorial concessions.
Medinsky also criticised Kyiv’s approach, accusing Ukrainian officials of using the talks as a “political show” rather than engaging in substantive dialogue.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Istanbul hours after meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, reiterated his demand for an “unconditional, full ceasefire” before discussing peace terms. Ukraine’s delegation is expected to be represented by Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, and Zelensky himself.
While Zelensky agreed to attend the talks, he warned that Ukraine would not compromise on territorial integrity or accept “dictated terms.”
Political and legal experts said that the appearance of the Ukrainian leader was a media move to emphasise the absence of Russia’s President Vladimir Putin at the talks, despite Ukraine’s effective ban on talks with the Russian leader.
International Pressure and diverging agendas
The talks unfolded against a backdrop of fractured international unity. US President Donald Trump, who pressured Zelensky to attend the meeting, called the negotiations a “big week” for ending the “bloodbath” but avoided endorsing the 30-day ceasefire proposed by European allies.
Meanwhile, European leaders, including Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz and France’s Emmanuel Macron, insisted that any progress hinges on Russia halting hostilities, threatening “massive” sanctions if Moscow continues its offensive.
Turkey, hosting the talks, urged both sides to seize the “window of opportunity,” with Erdoğan stressing that a ceasefire would “create the necessary environment for peace.”
The choice of Istanbul as the venue carries symbolic weight. The 2022 talks here collapsed after Ukraine derailed the process under alleged pressure from then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
With both delegations yet to release a joint statement, analysts warn that the absence of Putin and Trump—coupled with ongoing battlefield clashes—diminishes hopes for immediate resolution.
