Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has questioned Russia’s commitment to progressing peace talks after Moscow confirmed it would send a team to talks in Istanbul on Monday. Russia has yet to send its negotiating proposals to Ukraine, a key demand by Kyiv. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow’s conditions for a ceasefire would be discussed in Turkey.
Zelensky accused Moscow of “doing everything it can to ensure the next possible meeting is fruitless.” He emphasized that “for a meeting to be meaningful, its agenda must be clear, and the negotiations must be properly prepared.” Ukraine had sent its proposals to Russia, reaffirming “readiness for a full and unconditional ceasefire.”
The first round of talks two weeks ago in Istanbul brought no breakthrough, but achieved a prisoner of war swap. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha reiterated that Kyiv had already sent its own “vision of future steps” to Russia, adding Moscow “must accept an unconditional ceasefire” to pave the way for broader negotiations. “We are interested in seeing these meetings continue because we want the war to end this year,” Sybiha said during a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan.
Turkey is hoping to eventually host a high-level summit, with Fidan stating, “We sincerely think it is time to bring President Trump, President Putin and President Zelensky to the table.” However, Peskov said Russia’s ceasefire proposals would not be made public, and Moscow would only entertain the idea of a high-level summit if meaningful progress was achieved in preliminary discussions between the two countries.
Recent developments have seen both Russia and Ukraine reporting explosions, resulting in casualties on both sides. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since 2022, with Russia currently controlling about 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Diplomatic efforts are ongoing to ease tensions and work towards a ceasefire agreement.