Russia, Ukraine conclude first peace talks since 2022
The Hindu
Kyiv seeks ceasefire in deadly conflict; Moscow pushes territorial demands in talks; low expectations for breakthrough in Istanbul.
Russians and Ukrainians sat face-to-face for under two hours on Friday (May 16, 2025) in Istanbul for the first direct talks in over three years aimed at ending their war, with expectations low for breakthroughs.
Kyiv is seeking an "unconditional ceasefire" in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II, which has also destroyed large swathes of Ukraine and displaced millions of people.
Moscow says it wanted to address the "root causes" of the conflict and revive failed 2022 negotiations in which it made sweeping territorial and political demands of Ukraine.
Also Read | Putin skipping talks would signal Moscow not seeking peace: Kyiv
Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan sat at the head of a table in front of Turkish, Russian and Ukrainian flags at Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace — with Russian and Ukrainian delegations facing each other, footage from the room showed.
The talks concluded around 1220 GMT after just over 90 minutes, a Turkish Foreign Ministry source said.
While the talks were ongoing, a Ukrainian diplomatic source told AFP that Russia was making "unacceptable" territorial demands in a bid to derail negotiations.
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