Russian and Ukrainian negotiators convened in Istanbul on Friday for their first direct peace talks in over three years, under mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to bring an end to Europe’s deadliest war since World War II.
The meeting, held at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus, marked the first face-to-face encounter between the two sides since March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
While the talks were seen as a potential diplomatic step forward, expectations for progress were dampened on Thursday when Trump said no meaningful movement would happen without a direct meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Friday, Trump said he hoped to meet Putin upon returning from a Middle East trip.
In Istanbul, according to news reports, delegations arrived at the venue in white minibuses and black sedans. A Turkish Foreign Ministry source confirmed that trilateral meetings involving Turkish, U.S., and Ukrainian officials had begun. Turkish sources said Russian and Ukrainian delegations were expected to meet at 0930 GMT with Turkish officials present.
Putin, who had suggested direct talks in Turkey last Sunday, declined an in-person meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Instead, Russia sent a delegation of mid-level officials, a move Zelenskiy criticised as unserious and symbolic. Russia, in turn, accused Ukraine of staging a political performance.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also arrived in Istanbul on Friday, tempered expectations, stating Thursday night that a major breakthrough was unlikely based on the delegation levels.
Russia views the Istanbul talks as a continuation of early 2022 negotiations, when Ukraine was still reeling from the initial invasion. At the time, Moscow pushed for steep military concessions from Kyiv, including major troop reductions.
Today, with Russian forces occupying nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory, Putin remains firm on long-standing demands: Ukraine must cede territory, abandon its NATO aspirations, and commit to neutrality—terms Kyiv firmly rejects as a surrender. Instead, Ukraine seeks robust international security guarantees, particularly from the United States.
Reuter/S.S
