The first Russian-Ukrainian meeting in three years commenced within the framework of peace talks today, Friday, in Istanbul. Footage broadcast live by Turkish television showed Russian and Ukrainian negotiators engaging in discussions with a Turkish delegation. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan delivered an opening address at the meeting, marking a diplomatic advancement between the two sides, who had not met face-to-face since March 2022—a month after the start of the Russian invasion, which had not yielded any results at the time.
Prior to this meeting, a trilateral gathering involving Ukrainians, Americans, and Turks took place in Istanbul.
During today’s trilateral meeting in Istanbul, which was led by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio, U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Tom Barrack, and Special U.S. Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg participated, along with the Ukrainian delegation, which included Chief of Staff Andriy Yermak and Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs, Rustem Umerov and Andriy Sibiga, according to sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
Commenting on the trilateral meeting, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga stated on Friday that Ukraine held a “good” meeting with the American and Turkish delegations regarding peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. He added that Russia must demonstrate its seriousness in reaching peace with Ukraine.
He emphasized the need for “tangible Russian decisions,” particularly regarding an unconditional ceasefire lasting at least 30 days. The Ukrainian Foreign Minister noted that his country reached an agreement with the Turkish and American delegations during the talks on the urgency of expediting the peace process and ending the war.
In a related context, American and Russian officials convened on Friday at a hotel in Istanbul for discussions on Ukraine overseen by Turkey, according to an American official. The source clarified that Michael Anton, Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State, held closed talks with Kremlin advisor Vladimir Medinsky, who leads the Moscow delegation in the negotiations with Ukraine.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump stated on Friday that he would return to Washington after wrapping up his tour in the Gulf region. He added, “Let’s see what happens regarding Russia and Ukraine,” referring to ongoing talks between the two countries in Turkey. He mentioned that he would meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin “as soon as we can arrange it.”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Istanbul on Friday morning but clarified that Americans would not participate in direct negotiations. However, Rubio previously confirmed that he would meet with Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sibiga, while officials from his department would engage with the Russian delegation.
Rubio indicated on Thursday that expectations for this meeting would be modest, especially given the level of Russian representation and the exchange of insults between the two sides ahead of the talks. He stated, “I want to be candid. I don’t think we have high expectations about what will happen,” while not hiding his hope for “significant breakthroughs” on Friday.
The views expressed by the U.S. Secretary reflect a similar sentiment previously voiced by President Donald Trump, who ruled out the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine yielding results before he holds a direct meeting with Putin. Trump said on the sidelines of his Gulf visit, “I don’t think anything will happen, whether you like it or not, until he and I meet.”
For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the prospect of any breakthrough, considering that Russia does not take the negotiations “seriously.” He viewed the delegation sent by Moscow as “token,” which was later described by the latter as “clownish” and “failed.” However, Moscow sent a delegation led by Russian presidential advisor Vladimir Medinsky, known for his hardline nationalist positions, who had previously led negotiations in the spring of 2022.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (right) meets with the head of the Russian negotiating delegation, Vladimir Medinsky, in Istanbul (Reuters).
In contrast, the Ukrainian delegation is headed by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Over the past weekend, Putin called for direct talks with the Ukrainian side in Turkey, scheduling a meeting for May 15. Zelenskyy showed willingness but requested Putin to attend the meeting in Istanbul “in person.”
Different paths are being pursued. Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has sought to push for a resolution to the war, promising during his election campaign to end it “within 24 hours.” The American president, who is concluding his Gulf tour that included Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE on Friday, did not rule out traveling to Turkey if progress is made in the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations. Russian advisor Medinsky stated he would be awaiting the Ukrainian delegation on Friday morning. He explained during a press conference in Istanbul on Thursday: “Tomorrow morning, at ten o’clock precisely, we will be waiting for the Ukrainian side to attend the meeting.” Medinsky indicated earlier that his country sees the new discussions as an “extension” of the stalled bilateral negotiations that took place in 2022. However, he confirmed readiness for “possible compromises,” without providing further details. He stated that the delegation he leads has been granted “all the powers” to make decisions, which Zelenskyy previously questioned.
Earlier, the Ukrainian president met with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara on Thursday, stating afterward that Russia does not take the negotiations seriously. He confirmed that he sent a high-level delegation to Istanbul “out of respect” for Trump and Erdoğan. Zelenskyy reiterated that he remains “ready” for “direct talks” with Putin.
European summit in Albania
Before the negotiations, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the need for Russia to “pay the price for avoiding peace,” on the eve of attending a meeting of the European political community hosted by Albania. This group includes EU member states and 20 other countries, established in 2022 at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Joining Macron and Starmer in Albania will be German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, among others.
Kyiv and its European allies called on Russia last week to agree to an unconditional ceasefire lasting 30 days before any negotiations, a proposal that received no serious response from Russia. Both countries remain firm in their demands, which are difficult to reconcile. Russia demands that Ukraine refrain from joining NATO and insists on retaining the Ukrainian territories it annexed, while Kyiv, supported by its allies, considers these conditions unacceptable. Conversely, Ukraine seeks solid Western “security guarantees” to prevent any further Russian attacks and demands the complete withdrawal of the Russian military, which currently occupies about 20 percent of its territory, although Zelenskyy previously acknowledged that his country may need to work to regain some of its territory through diplomatic means.
On the ground, hostilities continue between the two sides. Ukrainian authorities reported the death of a woman in a Russian shelling in the town of Kupiansk and another in her fifties in the Dnipro region. For its part, Russia announced the downing of 65 drones launched by Ukraine overnight.
