Russia, Ukraine holding talks in Turkiye after launching major attacks

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine meet in Turkiye for peace talks amid escalating conflict and drone strikes.

Delegations from Russia and Ukraine met in Turkiye on Monday (June 2, 2025) for the second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, although expectations were low for any significant progress on ending the three-year war after a string of stunning attacks over the weekend.

The Ukrainian delegation was led by Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, officials said. Vladimir Medinsky, an aide to Russian leader Vladimir Putin, headed the Kremlin team, Russian state media reported.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chaired the talks at the city’s Ciragan Palace and gave an opening speech to mark their start.

Recent comments by senior officials in both countries indicate they remain far apart on the key conditions for stopping the war.

Ukraine said Sunday (June 1, 2025) it launched a spectacular surprise attack on four Russian airbases thousands of kilometres apart, destroying more than 40 warplanes. The raid was unprecedented in its scope and geographic reach, targeting bases in Russia’s Arctic, Siberia and Far East more than 7,000km from Ukraine.

The head of the Ukrainian security service, Vasyl Maliuk, who led the planning of the operation, said its success was “a major slap in the face for Russia’s military power.” He said the drones struck simultaneously in three time zones and the complex logistics took over a year and a half to prepare.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called it a “brilliant operation.”