Russian, Turkish and Ukrainian officials during Russian-Ukrainian talks at a presidential office at the Dolmabahce Palace, Istanbul, Turkey, on May 16, 2025. Photo: VCG

Russian and Ukrainian representatives finally held direct talks in Istanbul on Friday, marking the first direct engagement between two sides since their meeting in the Turkish city in March 2022, after a scheduled negotiation on Thursday failed to materialize. 

The two sides agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners of war (POWs) each, according to Russian and Ukrainian media, citing their diplomats who attended the talks. The Sputnik reported that Russian delegation is satisfied with talks outcome, which also include that both sides have agreed to outline their visions for a potential truce. 

After the meeting, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that the Russian and Ukrainian delegations have agreed to have a new round of negotiations during talks in Istanbul, Xinhua reported.

At the talks, according to Tass, the two delegations sat around a horseshoe table, facing each other, with Turkish officials between them. The flags of Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine adorned the room.

The Russian delegation was headed by Kremlin aide Vladimir Medinsky while the Ukrainian team was led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan chaired the meeting, reported CNN. 

The main purpose of this meeting is to reestablish direct contact, Cui Heng, a scholar from the Shanghai-based China National Institute for SCO International Exchange and Judicial Cooperation, told the Global Times. 

According to Zhang Hong, a research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the meeting represents phased progress in the diplomatic process - a gradual advancement from "fighting without talks" to "indirect dialogue" and then to "direct talks."

Both sides have shown a certain willingness to negotiate and offered a political gesture aimed at resolving the conflict, Zhang said. 

However, significant differences persist, particularly the wide gap between Russia's proposal for a "conditional peace" and Ukraine's emphasis on a "full, unconditional ceasefire," said Zhang, adding that the lack of substantive progress on key issues and implementation mechanisms makes a real breakthrough difficult. 

The talks, which lasted well under two hours, yielded no apparent sign of progress in narrowing the gap between the two sides, according to a Reuters report. 

The BBC reported that "there were no handshakes between the Russian and Ukrainian delegations," and "half the Ukrainian side are in camouflage military fatigues." Citing sources, CNN said the Ukrainian team speaks to the Russian side through an interpreter, which "hints at the level of enmity" when Russian is commonly spoken in Ukraine. 

On Friday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for patience in the Ukraine peace process, urging all interested parties not to exert any extra pressure on the negotiating sides as they take steps toward reaching a deal, Tass reported. 

China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We support all efforts conducive to peace, support direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, and hope that relevant parties will continue to reach a fair, lasting and binding peace agreement that can be accepted by parties concerned through dialogue and negotiation, and ultimately realize the political settlement of the crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Friday, in response to media inquiries about the Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey.

Stalemate and depletion

Before the talks with the Russian delegation, Ukrainian, US, and Turkish delegates met in Istanbul for a trilateral meeting on Friday, according to media reports. 

The Russian delegation also met with the US delegation ahead of talks between Moscow and Kiev. Before the Russian-Ukrainian talks started, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he wants a meeting with Putin "as soon as we can set it up," according to BBC. 

Before the meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, Ukrainian national security advisor Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov met national security advisors from Britain, the US, Germany and France in Istanbul, according to a BBC report. 

Europe has been trying to assert its role in the Ukraine crisis since uncertainty over US support surged. Also on Friday, the leaders of 47 European countries and organizations gathered in Albania's capital Tirana for a one-day summit to discuss security and defense challenges, with the Ukraine crisis at the top of the agenda, the AP reported. 

Last weekend, Zelensky hosted French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kiev, where they made a joint call for a 30-day end to hostilities.

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has entered a phase of attrition characterized by simultaneous military conflict and diplomatic maneuvering, said Zhang, adding that neither side has found an effective political solution to end the conflict so far, and a renewed round of battlefield offensives on both sides could occur during the summer if no breakthrough is made in talks.

Currently, Russia holds the battlefield initiative and controls the pace of both military operations and potential negotiations, said Cui, emphasizing that there are some voices within Russia who believe that if Moscow's strategic goals are not met, the military operation may continue. 

On Thursday, Russia's Defense Ministry reported that Russian troops had taken control of another two settlements in Ukraine's Donetsk region over the past day, adding that Kiev "loses over 1,400 troops in all frontline areas over past day," according to a Tass report. 

On the same day, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order to extend Russia's 2021-2025 defense plan by two years. "The words "2021-2025" shall be replaced with the words "2021-2027," the decree said, per the Russian news outlet. 

At a news briefing with his Greek counterpart earlier on Tuesday, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the EU is ready to impose tougher sanctions on Russia if progress on ending the war in Ukraine is not made this week, per Reuters. 

There appears to be no clear timeline for the conflict to end in the near future, Cui said. 

The crisis has evolved into a long-term strategic confrontation, marked by Western pressure on Moscow and Russia's response through its hard power in a tough way, said Zhang. He said that the balance of power between Russia and Ukraine is likely to remain relatively even through 2025, making a decisive outcome difficult and prolonging the stalemate. 

Cui said that although both sides refuse to compromise on territorial issues, there is some room for coordination on managing the conflict, particularly on technical and humanitarian issues, such as continuing to implement the Black Sea cease-fire agreement, mutual commitments not to attack infrastructure, POW exchanges, and humanitarian corridors.



Chen Xuan contributed to the story