Summary
- Russian and Ukrainian delegations meet in Istanbul for third peace talks after seven weeks.
- Main focus: prisoner exchange, war dead return, and humanitarian issues; ceasefire unlikely.
- Russia led by Vladimir Medinsky; Ukraine by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov; no direct presidential talks.
- Russia demands Ukraine withdraw from annexed territories and Crimea; Ukraine and West reject.
- Previous talks yielded prisoner swaps but no ceasefire agreement.
- U.S. threatens further sanctions if no peace in 50 days; Turkey pushes for direct dialogue.
- Recent military escalations include large drone attacks and Ukrainian strikes on Russian bases.
- Deep divisions remain; limited optimism for immediate progress.
In a significant diplomatic development amid an ongoing war now in its fourth year, Russian and Ukrainian delegations have travelled to Istanbul, Turkey, for a highly anticipated new round of peace talks on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. Despite palpable international pressure and escalating violence on the battlefield, officials and analysts alike are tempering expectations for a breakthrough, citing deep-seated disagreements and starkly opposing agendas.
What Is the Background to the Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks in Turkey?
As reported by Guy Faulconbridge and Reuters staff for Al-Monitor and US News, Russian negotiators are heading to Istanbul for their first direct talks with Ukrainian counterparts in over seven weeks. State news agency TASS confirmed that the two sides had agreed to meet Wednesday, with Vladimir Medinsky leading the Russian delegation and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov representing Kyiv.
The two prior rounds, also held in Istanbul, in May and June, centered on the exchange of prisoners of war and the remains of dead soldiers over 6,000 in the most recent swap yet failed to make any progress on a ceasefire or wider settlement. Both sides exchanged documents, but Russian demands remain unacceptable to Ukraine, and vice versa.
Who Are the Key Figures Attending the Talks?
According to coverage by Al Jazeera and Euronews, Russia's team is led by Vladimir Medinsky, a political scientist and former culture minister. Medinsky also headed up previous rounds of negotiation and is not viewed by Ukraine's government as a powerful decision-maker, with Kyiv describing him as a “puppet” of the Kremlin. President Vladimir Putin is not attending, and the Kremlin has stated that much more groundwork would be needed before any summit between Putin and Zelenskyy.
Ukraine's delegation is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, consistent with past sessions, in a team selected to “balance” the Russian delegation, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as quoted by Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu. Zelenskyy himself remains focused on ensuring representation and technical dialogue but, according to his statements, “even his team lacks the authority to make final decisions,” characterizing the meetings as technical and preparatory in nature.
What Are Each Side’s Demands and Expectations?
As per Andrew E. Kramer and Anton Troianovski in The New York Times, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov told journalists before the meeting there was “no basis to expect any magical breakthroughs,” reflecting the general skepticism in Moscow and Kyiv. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has explicitly ruled out any agreement on territorial concessions or the status of Crimea prior to a true ceasefire. Ukraine continues to call for a reciprocal exchange of all prisoners of war, return of civilians from captivity, and the repatriation of children it says were abducted by Russia.
Moscow, on the other hand, is demanding Ukraine’s total withdrawal from the four regions it claims to have annexed Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson as well as Crimea. Medinsky outlined these as preconditions for any halt in hostilities in a memorandum delivered to Kyiv at the last session. The document also stipulated ending Ukrainian mobilization, halting Western arms supplies, prohibiting military deployments of third parties in Ukraine, and Ukraine declaring official neutrality. These demands, repeatedly rejected by both Ukraine and Western nations, remain the central stumbling block preventing any truce.
What Has Been Achieved in Previous Rounds of Talks?
PBS NewsHour, Al Jazeera, and France24 reported that while little headway was made on a political solution, prior rounds did produce substantial prisoner exchanges and the repatriation of the remains of thousands of combatants a rare instance of diplomacy functioning amid the conflict. Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s chief negotiator, explained that the sides agreed to an “all-for-all” exchange of the severely injured and captured young soldiers, with at least 1,000 on each side returned a swap unprecedented in its scale.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who has hosted the talks at Istanbul’s Ciragan Palace, stated that
“The whole world’s eyes are focused on the contacts and discussions you will have here.”
However, the climate has been marked by limited ambition and clear boundaries: as observed by PBS NewsHour’s reporting, expectations for a diplomatic breakthrough were “very low,” with both delegations admitting the divisions remained formidable.
What Has Been the International Response, Especially from the U.S.?
According to Al Arabiya and Euronews, the United States has intensified its push for a negotiated settlement. President Donald Trump warned last week that Russia and any countries purchasing its exports would face new “bruising sanctions” if a peace agreement is not reached within 50 days. Trump, speaking on Truth Social and to reporters during his Middle East tour, insisted:
“To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you”.
He has also advocated for a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy, which, so far, the Kremlin has resisted.
Euronews noted additional international diplomatic efforts: Turkish President Erdogan has called repeatedly for both leaders to meet in Istanbul or Ankara, proposing a broader summit that could include U.S. participation. However, Ankara’s energetic shuttle diplomacy has yet to produce the direct leader-level dialogue it seeks.
How Has the Escalation on the Battlefield Shaped Discussions?
As noted by The Associated Press (PBS NewsHour) and France24, the lead-up to the talks was marked by major military escalations. Ukrainian forces recently carried out a prolonged and strategically complex drone strike on Russian airbases, reportedly destroying more than 40 warplanes deep inside Russian territory a blow lauded by President Zelenskyy as “brilliant” and “a major slap in the face for Russia’s military power”. In retaliation and as part of ongoing campaigns, Russia launched a barrage of 472 drones at Ukrainian targets in a single night, the highest number since its invasion.
Latin RTE, DW, and multiple news sources all described the humanitarian toll of the recent escalation, which has included increased civilian casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and mounting pressure on the negotiators to produce at least incremental relief, if not an outright ceasefire.
What Is on the Agenda for the Istanbul Talks?
According to DW’s live coverage and Al Arabiya, the third round of discussions in Istanbul aims to focus principally on humanitarian issues, foremost among them the exchange of prisoners and remains, and confidence-building steps such as publishing official lists of missing and detained persons. Talks will additionally revisit the long-standing Russian and Ukrainian proposals for ceasefire and settlement terms, although both the nature of the delegations and official statements suggest the gathering is not authorized to broker a final peace deal.
Ukrainian officials and President Zelenskyy maintain that further action especially on territory and permanent ceasefire will have to come from talks at the leader level; neither Putin nor Zelenskyy is expected to attend unless significant groundwork is achieved.
What Has Turkey’s Role Been in Mediating the Talks?
As detailed by Al Jazeera and France24, Turkey has positioned itself as an indispensable intermediary, with President Erdoğan backing persistent diplomatic engagement and Foreign Minister Fidan personally moderating the meetings. Erdoğan called the ongoing talks and prisoner exchanges “magnificent” and repeated offers to host direct negotiation between Putin and Zelenskyy, or even a four-party summit including the US. Turkey’s stance is driven by both its NATO commitments and economic relationships with Russia and Ukraine, making it a rare broker with access to both sides.
What Are the Prospects for a Ceasefire or Lasting Peace?
According to reporting by The New York Times, Al Arabiya, and Al Jazeera, both sides remain far apart on even a provisional ceasefire, with Russia rejecting unconditional truce offers and Ukraine dismissing Moscow’s demands for territorial concessions.
Russian sources, as cited by Reuters and DW, say
“President Putin is unmoved by threats of further Western sanctions and is prepared to continue military operations in Ukraine until the West agrees to his terms for peace,”
suggesting Moscow’s own territorial ambitions could expand with further battlefield advances. Ukraine and the West, for their part, have made clear that the current Russian requirements withdrawal from occupied territories, political neutrality, constitutional changes are unacceptable preconditions for peace.
Are There Any Indications of Progress?
Statements from both camps, chronicled by journalists from Al Arabiya, PBS, and The New York Times, indicate a prevailing mood of resolve but resignation. Rustem Umerov told reporters in Istanbul, as quoted by Al Jazeera,
“We are ready to take at least the initial step toward de-escalation, but ultimately the process can only succeed at the highest political level”.
Vladimir Medinsky, for his part, maintains that “constructive discussions are still possible,” yet concedes the gap remains “vast”.
Despite limited prospects for a breakthrough, the ongoing humanitarian exchanges are undeniably significant for thousands of families and suggest that some diplomatic channels, however narrow, are still open between Russia and Ukraine.