A new round of negotiations between Russia and Ukraine begins in Türkiye to seek a solution to end the war
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine are expected to begin in Türkiye on Wednesday in an attempt to find a diplomatic solution to the war that has been ongoing between the two countries for more than three years.
While Ukraine announced Monday evening that these negotiations would take place on Wednesday, Russia simply said it hoped the new round would be held this week.
The third round of direct talks between the two sides will be held in Istanbul under pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has given Russia 50 days to reach an agreement with Kyiv or face severe sanctions.
However, the possibility of making any progress appears to be limited, as the positions of the two sides are largely opposing.
Two rounds of talks were held in May and June in Istanbul but failed to achieve any breakthrough to end the war.
However, the two countries agreed to release hundreds of prisoners from each side and return the bodies of soldiers.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky indicated on Tuesday that he expects to discuss new exchanges with Moscow and the return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Russia, expressing his desire to prepare a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to effectively end this war.
On the ground, battles continue on the front lines, and Russian bombing of Ukraine continues unabated.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin dashed expectations of a quick resolution to the conflict, which erupted in February 2022 and has claimed tens of thousands of lives on both sides.
“There is, of course, no reason to hope for extraordinary progress, but we intend to defend and secure our interests and implement the tasks we set from the outset,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
He spoke of much work to be done before any meeting between Putin and Zelensky, something the Ukrainian president has demanded.
The Ukrainian president on Tuesday unveiled the composition of his country’s delegation, which will again be led by former Defense Minister Rustam Umerov, known for his diplomatic acumen, and will include representatives from the intelligence and diplomatic services, as well as the presidency.
Moscow has yet to announce the composition of its negotiating team, but in previous rounds, it was led by a second-ranking official, former Minister of Culture and historian Vladimir Medinsky, which angered Kyiv.
Dmitry Peskov stressed on Monday that the two sides’ positions remain “completely opposed”.
Russia presented a list of demands, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from four regions Moscow declared annexed in September 2022 but does not fully control, as well as Crimea, which it annexed in 2014.
It also demanded that Kyiv reject all forms of Western military support and not join NATO.
Ukraine rejects these conditions and demands a complete withdrawal of Russian forces from its territory and security guarantees from the West, including continued arms deliveries and the deployment of European forces, a demand Moscow opposes.
Kyiv, in coordination with its European allies, also insists on a 30-day ceasefire, a demand rejected by Moscow, which has the upper hand on the ground.
Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has pressed both sides to engage in direct talks.
However, efforts to reach a diplomatic solution to the war have failed to achieve a breakthrough.
Trump has recently made no secret of his frustration with Putin.
In mid-July, he gave his Russian counterpart 50 days to reach an agreement or face widespread sanctions, as Moscow has yet to respond to this deadline.
Washington also announced that it would resume supplying weapons to Kyiv under an agreement with NATO.
