The latest round of direct peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine wrapped up in Istanbul on Monday without any significant advancements, as both parties failed to agree on the crucial unconditional ceasefire many had anticipated.
Despite this setback, they did manage to establish an agreement to exchange all sick and severely wounded prisoners of war, including those under the age of 25, and committed to repatriating the remains of 12,000 fallen soldiers.
Ukrainian negotiators reported that Russia once again dismissed a request for an “unconditional ceasefire,” a core demand from Kyiv and its Western partners. Instead, the Russian delegation proposed a temporary truce in specific areas along the front line for two to three days, without providing further details.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv’s delegation, reiterated the urgent need for a “full and unconditional ceasefire” across land, sea, and air for at least 30 days to “put an end to the killings immediately.” He noted that Ukraine had submitted its truce proposal several days before the meeting, whereas Russia only presented their suggestions during the discussions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Moscow’s limited ceasefire proposal, stating, “I think ‘idiots’, because the whole point of a ceasefire is to stop people from becoming dead,” as he expressed on social media platform X.
Neither side has officially disclosed their ceasefire proposals, although Russian state media has outlined Moscow’s stance, which includes demands for Ukraine’s military withdrawal from partially occupied regions such as Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, along with recognition of Russian control over these areas and Crimea. Additional conditions involve limitations on Ukraine’s military, a ban on NATO membership, the establishment of Russian as an official language, and the lifting of international sanctions on Russia.
Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia confirmed Russia’s rejection of the ceasefire and mentioned that Kyiv had also submitted a list of hundreds of children allegedly taken to Russia by force.
