In an attempt to end the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II, Russian and Ukrainian representatives met face-to-face in Istanbul on Friday for the first direct talks in over three years.
The meeting, which lasted less than two hours, was held under the auspices of Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan at Istanbuls Dolmabahce Palace. The Russian and Ukrainian delegations faced each other across a table adorned with their respective national flags, as reported by Breitbart.
Ukraine has been seeking an "unconditional ceasefire" to halt the conflict that has wreaked havoc across large parts of the country and displaced millions of its citizens. On the other hand, Moscow has expressed its desire to address the "root causes" of the conflict and revive the failed 2022 negotiations, during which it made extensive territorial and political demands of Ukraine.
The talks concluded after just over 90 minutes, according to a Turkish foreign ministry source. However, during the discussions, a Ukrainian diplomatic source informed AFP that Russia was making "unacceptable" territorial demands, potentially jeopardizing the negotiations. A senior Ukrainian official revealed that while further talks might occur later on Friday, none were currently planned.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking at a European summit in Albania, called for a "strong reaction" from the international community if the talks fail, including the imposition of new sanctions. Prior to the talks, Zelensky had accused Moscow of sending "empty heads" to the negotiating table. Despite this, the mere occurrence of the meeting was seen as a positive sign, especially given the consistent pressure from Washington for both sides to engage in dialogue.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who had proposed the talks, chose not to attend, instead sending a secondary delegation. Zelensky criticized Putin for his absence, stating that Putin was "afraid" and accusing Russia of not taking the talks "seriously". Both Moscow and Washington have emphasized the importance of a meeting between Putin and US President Donald Trump to address the conflict.
"Our number one priority is a full, honest and unconditional ceasefire," Zelensky stated during the talks. He warned that if a ceasefire could not be agreed upon, it would be "100 percent clear that Putin continues to undermine diplomacy." In such a scenario, Zelensky called for a strong international response, including sanctions on Russia's energy sector and banks.
Before the talks, Ukrainian officials in Istanbul met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trumps special envoy Keith Kellogg, and the national security advisors of Britain, France, and Germany. Rubio called for a "peaceful" end to the war and emphasized that "the killing needs to stop," according to State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.
However, as the talks progressed, a Ukrainian diplomatic source in Istanbul reported that Russia was pushing for hardline territorial demands. The source accused Moscow of trying to "throw non-starters" to ensure the talks ended "without any results."
Several leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO chief Mark Rutte, criticized Putin for not attending the Istanbul talks. Putin's representative at the talks was Vladimir Medinsky, a former cultural minister who is not viewed as a key decision-maker in the Kremlin. Despite the criticism, Medinsky insisted that the Russian delegation had a mandate from Putin to "find possible solutions."
Russia has consistently stated that it will not discuss relinquishing any territory that its forces currently occupy. The chief negotiator for Kyiv is Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who hails from Crimea, the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014.
Despite the talks, Russia continued its attacks, with Kyiv reporting at least two casualties in the hours leading up to the discussions. The ongoing conflict and the lack of significant progress in the talks underscore the complexity of the situation and the urgent need for a resolution that respects Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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