Russia and Ukraine are scheduled to hold new peace talks on Wednesday in Istanbul, as announced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The negotiations will be a follow-up to two previous rounds held in Istanbul on May 16 and June 2, which saw little progress in ending the ongoing war between the two nations. Zelensky stated that he discussed the planned meeting with National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov, who confirmed that the meeting would take place on Wednesday.
The talks come amid heightened tensions, with Russia demanding Ukraine give up four regions, in addition to Crimea, which it annexed in 2014, and abandon any plans to join the NATO military alliance. Ukraine has rejected these demands and expressed doubts about Russia’s willingness to negotiate a ceasefire. Despite US President Donald Trump’s urging for a deal, no breakthrough was made in the previous talks, with Ukrainian and Russian negotiators only agreeing on prisoner exchanges.
The upcoming talks are expected to face significant challenges, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stating that the two sides’ proposals are “diametrically opposed” and that “a lot of diplomatic work lies ahead.” The US presence will likely play a significant role in the negotiations, following Trump’s announcement that he gave Russia 50 days to negotiate a deal or face heavy sanctions, while also resuming arms supplies to Ukraine.
