ISTANBUL, TURKEY – The latest round of direct peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul has concluded with a familiar outcome: a commitment to a significant prisoner exchange, but once again, no breakthrough on a desperately needed ceasefire. The brief, roughly 90-minute session held on Monday, June 2nd, under Turkish mediation, highlighted the deeply entrenched divisions that continue to plague any meaningful resolution to the war.
Both delegations confirmed an agreement to proceed with a new prisoner of war (POW) swap, with a particular focus on the severely wounded and younger soldiers aged 18 to 25. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later indicated that the next exchange could involve at least 1,000 people on each side, potentially even reaching a 1,200-for-1,200 swap. The talks also reportedly included discussions on the return of some 6,000 bodies of fallen soldiers to their respective nations.
However, the more pressing issue of an unconditional ceasefire remained elusive. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who led Kyiv’s delegation, reiterated Ukraine’s firm demand for a “full and unconditional ceasefire” for at least 30 days across all fronts – land, sea, and air – aimed at “ending the killings now.” Ukraine had reportedly submitted its truce proposals to Russia days before the Istanbul meeting.
In contrast, Russia’s delegation, led by Presidential Aide Vladimir Medinsky, confirmed an agreement on the prisoner swap but rejected the notion of an unconditional ceasefire. Russian state media, citing Moscow’s official position after the talks, indicated that Russia’s demands for a “lasting peace” included familiar ultimatums: Ukraine’s complete military withdrawal from the four partially occupied regions (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia), international recognition of their annexation along with Crimea, Ukraine’s neutrality and abandonment of NATO aspirations, limits on the size of the Ukrainian army, and making Russian an official language. These terms are widely seen by Kyiv and its Western allies as tantamount to capitulation.
Image source: Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“There was no love lost at the negotiating table,” one observer close to the talks noted, reflecting the palpable tension and divergence in fundamental positions. While the exchange of prisoners offers a glimmer of humanitarian progress, it does little to bridge the chasm between the two sides on broader political and territorial issues.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who chaired the negotiations, acknowledged that while the two sides discussed conditions for a ceasefire, no tangible outcome was announced. He expressed Turkey’s continued hope to host a higher-level summit involving Presidents Zelensky, Putin, and potentially even President Donald Trump, though Moscow has previously stated such a meeting would only be considered if significant progress is made in lower-level discussions.
The current round of talks unfolded against a backdrop of intensified military action, including a significant Ukrainian drone attack on Russian airbases that reportedly damaged numerous strategic bombers, and renewed Russian aerial assaults across Ukraine. This simultaneous escalation of both diplomatic and military maneuvers underscores the complex and often contradictory nature of the ongoing conflict.
For Ukraine, the commitment to prisoner exchanges, including those for severely wounded and young soldiers, offers vital relief to families agonizing over their captured loved ones. However, the failure to secure a broader truce means the relentless fighting, and its devastating human cost, will continue. With Ukraine proposing further talks before the end of June and no clear path to a meeting between the two presidents, the prospect of a comprehensive peace settlement remains a distant and formidable challenge.