Ukraine and Russia set for fresh peace talks, Zelensky says

 

Russia and Ukraine Set for New Peace Talks in Istanbul Amid Escalating Conflict and U.S. Pressure

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that a new round of peace talks with Russia will take place in Istanbul this week. In his Monday address, Zelensky stated that Ukrainian Security Council chief Rustem Umerov has been preparing for both a potential prisoner exchange and discussions with the Russian delegation scheduled for Wednesday.

The announcement follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning to Moscow last week, giving Russia a 50-day deadline to agree to a ceasefire or face intensified economic sanctions. Trump has described the potential measures as “severe,” signaling growing impatience from Washington over Russia’s actions and the lack of progress toward peace.

While hopes for diplomacy remain, the Kremlin has already tempered expectations. Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Moscow does not foresee a "miraculous breakthrough" and emphasized that Russia remains committed to the strategic goals it set at the start of the war. The talks, Peskov added, would proceed, but the two sides remain far apart.

Previous rounds of direct negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow held in Turkey failed to produce concrete steps toward a ceasefire. With continued fighting on the ground and widening diplomatic divides, many remain skeptical about the outcome of the latest talks.

In recent days, Russia has escalated its aerial bombardments of Ukrainian cities. Local officials reported that a child was killed when a glide bomb struck an apartment complex in Kramatorsk. Several districts of Kyiv also came under combined drone and missile attacks earlier in the week. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces say they have repelled over 50 Russian assaults in the embattled Pokrovsk region in eastern Ukraine.

According to reports from Russia's RIA news agency, the Istanbul meetings could stretch into Thursday and Friday. A Turkish government official confirmed the talks would take place in the same venue as previous negotiations in May and June—meetings which ended without resolution.

This week’s diplomatic efforts will be closely watched, especially as speculation grows over a potential meeting between Presidents Zelensky and Putin. A senior Ukrainian official told AFP that discussions might include additional prisoner exchanges, but warned that the two sides remain “diametrically opposed” on key issues.

Despite the slim chances of a breakthrough, the renewed dialogue signals ongoing international efforts to stop a war that has now entered its fourth year and continues to claim thousands of lives.