Direct Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul ended Friday with no breakthrough, as Moscow pushed hardline demands and President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Vladimir Putin of undermining diplomacy by refusing to attend.
The 90-minute meeting—the first face-to-face talks since 2022—was held under Turkish mediation at Dolmabahce Palace. Ukraine demanded an “unconditional ceasefire,” while Russia called for Kyiv to withdraw from large parts of its own territory.
“Russian representatives are putting forward unacceptable demands… such as for Ukraine to withdraw forces from large parts of Ukrainian territory it controls in order for a ceasefire to begin,” a Ukrainian diplomatic source said.
Putin, who had proposed the talks, stayed away and sent former culture minister Vladimir Medinsky instead. Zelensky called Putin “afraid” and said the Kremlin wasn’t serious about peace. “This must happen immediately to stop the killing and create a solid basis for diplomacy,” he said.
Earlier in the day, U.S. and Russian officials met privately at a nearby hotel. Michael Anton of the U.S. State Department held closed-door talks with Medinsky. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also met Ukrainian officials and urged “a peaceful end” to the war.
The talks came just hours after President Donald Trump said he would like to meet Putin “as soon as we can set it up.” The Kremlin said such a meeting would be “extremely important” for resolving the conflict.
Despite the lack of progress, the fact that both sides agreed to meet is seen as a sign of growing international pressure—especially from Washington—to find a path toward de-escalation.
