Russian and Ukrainian negotiators met in Istanbul on Friday for their first direct peace talks in almost three years, as US President Donald Trump stepped up pressure to conclude Europe’s bloodiest war since World War II.
The meeting, held at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus, was the first face-to-face engagement between the two sides since March 2022, shortly after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
While the negotiations were viewed as a potential diplomatic step forward, expectations were dashed on Thursday when Trump stated that no serious progress would occur without a direct meeting between himself and Russian President Vladimir Putin. On Friday, Trump stated that he hoped to meet Putin after returning from a Middle Eastern tour.
According to accounts, delegates arrived at the venue in white minibuses and black vehicles.
A Turkish Foreign Ministry source confirmed that trilateral meetings between Turkish, US, and Ukrainian officials had begun. According to Turkish sources, the Russian and Ukrainian delegations were scheduled to meet at 0930 GMT, with Turkish officials present.
Putin, who had suggested direct talks in Turkey last Sunday, declined an in-person meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Instead, Russia sent a delegation of mid-level officials, a move Zelenskiy criticised as unserious and symbolic. Russia, in turn, accused Ukraine of staging a political performance.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also arrived in Istanbul on Friday, tempered expectations, stating Thursday night that a major breakthrough was unlikely based on the delegation levels.
Russia views the Istanbul talks as a continuation of early 2022 negotiations, when Ukraine was still reeling from the initial invasion. At the time, Moscow pushed for steep military concessions from Kyiv, including major troop reductions.
Today, with Russian forces occupying nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory, Putin remains firm on long-standing demands:Ukraine must cede territory, abandon its NATO aspirations, and commit to neutrality—terms Kyiv firmly rejects as a surrender.
Instead, Ukraine seeks robust international security guarantees, particularly from the United States.
