Russia and Ukraine held a brief round of talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, focusing primarily on prisoner exchanges but making no headway toward a ceasefire or a potential summit between their leaders.
Ukrainian chief negotiator Rustem Umerov stated that the two sides made “progress on the humanitarian track” but remained deadlocked on ending hostilities. The 40-minute meeting yielded no breakthroughs. Umerov said Kyiv had proposed a leaders’ summit between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Vladimir Putin before the end of August, framing the offer as an opportunity for Moscow to show a constructive stance.
Russian lead negotiator Vladimir Medinsky dismissed the idea of a summit without a prior agreement, arguing it should serve to formalize terms, not restart talks. Medinsky repeated Moscow’s call for short ceasefires of up to 48 hours to facilitate the retrieval of war dead, while Ukraine pushed for a full and immediate cessation of hostilities.
The talks came shortly after US President Donald Trump warned of sweeping new sanctions on Russia and its trade partners unless a peace agreement is reached within 50 days. Despite this pressure, no substantial diplomatic progress was reported.
Both sides confirmed discussions over expanding humanitarian exchanges, following a series of prisoner swaps, the latest of which occurred on Wednesday. Medinsky said at least 1,200 additional prisoners from each side would be exchanged, and Russia had offered to return the remains of 3,000 Ukrainian soldiers.
He also addressed the sensitive issue of Ukrainian children allegedly taken by Russia. Ukraine accuses Moscow of abducting over 19,000 children since the invasion began. Russia denies wrongdoing and claims it is safeguarding children separated during the conflict. Medinsky said some have already been returned and that efforts were ongoing to reunite the remaining children with legal guardians.
Umerov reiterated Ukraine’s call for the release of civilian detainees, including minors. He expressed hope for “further progress” on prisoner issues in the near future.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan opened the session urging both parties to build on earlier exchanges in May and June, and to work toward ending the war. “The ultimate goal here is, of course, a ceasefire that will pave the way for peace,” he said.
Despite these calls, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said earlier that Moscow expected the negotiations to be “very difficult,” suggesting no imminent breakthrough.
As talks unfolded, Russia’s military continued its offensive. The Defence Ministry claimed to have taken control of Varachyne, a settlement in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, roughly 6km from the Russian border. This move is part of President Putin’s stated effort to create a “buffer zone” along the frontier.
Elsewhere, Russian shelling in the southern city of Kherson killed a 66-year-old woman and injured three others, including two 13-year-olds, according to regional officials. The Ukrainian Air Force reported downing 45 of 71 drones and decoys launched overnight by Russian forces.