The latest round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul ended after just 40 minutes on Wednesday, with little to show for the effort. While negotiators made some headway on expanding prisoner exchanges, they remained miles apart on the critical issues of a ceasefire or a potential meeting between their leaders.
Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said the two sides made headway only on the “humanitarian track.”
“We have progress on the humanitarian track, with no progress on a cessation of hostilities,” Umerov told reporters. He said Kyiv proposed a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin before the end of August. “By agreeing to this proposal, Russia can clearly demonstrate its constructive approach,” he added.
Russia’s chief delegate, Vladimir Medinsky, pushed back on the idea of a summit without prior agreement. “The point of a leaders’ meeting should be to sign an agreement, not to discuss everything from scratch,” he said.
Medinsky repeated Moscow’s call for a series of short ceasefires lasting 24 to 48 hours to recover the dead. Ukraine, by contrast, is seeking an immediate and sustained cessation of hostilities.
The Istanbul meeting came just over a week after U.S. President Donald Trump warned of sweeping new sanctions on Russia and countries that support its exports, unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. So far, there is little sign that either Moscow or Kyiv is close to compromise.
Still, both sides agreed to continue with prisoner swaps. Medinsky said they had finalized plans to exchange at least 1,200 prisoners of war from each side. Russia also offered to hand over another 3,000 Ukrainian bodies.
He addressed concerns about children Ukraine says were taken by Russian forces, saying Russia was reviewing a list of 339 names submitted by Kyiv. “Some of the children have already been returned back to Ukraine,” Medinsky said. “If their legal parents, close relatives, representatives are found, these children will immediately return home.”
Ukraine accuses Russia of forcibly deporting at least 19,000 children during the war. Umerov said, “We continue to insist on the release of civilians, including children.” He described the latest developments as partial progress but said more work is needed.
Kremlin officials had warned before the talks not to expect any breakthroughs, describing the two sides’ positions as “diametrically opposed.” The brief session on Wednesday turned out even shorter than earlier rounds in May and June, which combined totaled less than three hours.
Oleksandr Bevz, part of the Ukrainian delegation, said the proposed summit date in August was selected to fall within the timeline set by Trump’s ultimatum. That deadline has raised pressure on both parties, though few believe it will yield an actual agreement.
Putin previously declined a challenge by Zelensky to meet face-to-face, saying he no longer views the Ukrainian president as legitimate. Ukraine is under martial law and has not held new elections since Zelensky’s five-year term expired last year.
Meanwhile, Trump, who had a public clash with Zelensky earlier this year, appears to have repaired that relationship. But he’s showing growing frustration with Russia. Behind the scenes, sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin remains unfazed by U.S. pressure and intends to press on with the war until the West engages on Moscow’s terms.
Those sources also suggested Russia may expand its territorial aims if its forces continue to make gains.
While prisoner swaps may offer brief relief for some families, the larger conflict shows little sign of nearing resolution. Talks are still happening, but they’re short. Agreements are partial. And time, at least for now, seems to be working against peace.
