Dialogue between Vladimir Putin and Kiev representatives in Istanbul receives positive evaluation from Putin
Russia has put forward a proposal to establish three dedicated online working groups aimed at addressing political, military, and humanitarian issues related to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The proposal was made during the third round of negotiations held in Istanbul on July 23, 2025.
The idea, put forward by the head of the Russian delegation and advisor to the Russian leadership, Volodymyr Medinsky, aims to streamline discussions and coordinate efforts between the two sides more efficiently. By conducting the work online, time and resources are expected to be saved.
The working groups are intended to focus on three key areas: political issues, military matters including prisoner exchanges, and humanitarian concerns.
Ukraine has been reported to be considering the proposal, but as of early August 2025, Kyiv has not yet given a definitive response. Moscow is awaiting clarification on whether Ukraine accepts or rejects the initiative. Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, have indicated that they see progress stalled due to a lack of response from Kyiv and have reiterated Russia's position demanding that any peace terms address what Moscow sees as the "root causes" of the war.
The main goal of these working groups is to facilitate continued dialogue and practical cooperation on specific issues outside of full peace talks, such as prisoner exchanges and humanitarian aid delivery. However, the overall political resolution remains challenging due to conflicting demands and Russia's persistent war aims, which many analysts view as requiring Ukraine's capitulation—a stance Ukraine has clearly rejected.
During the negotiations, the heads of the delegations, Vladimir Medinsky and Rustem Umerov, had a private conversation before the discussions commenced. The negotiations lasted about 40 minutes, during which the parties discussed draft memorandums.
Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, assesses the negotiations for peace positively, stating that hundreds of people have returned to their homeland. He also suggests that thorough conversations are needed to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, but not in public.
Moscow has already handed over thousands of bodies of fallen Ukrainian soldiers and received several dozen bodies of fallen Russian soldiers. This gesture indicates a willingness to address humanitarian concerns, although the broader political and military issues remain unresolved.
As the acceptance of this approach from Ukraine remains pending, the standstill in negotiations continues. The creation of these online working groups could potentially provide a platform for ongoing discussions on political, military, and humanitarian issues, contributing to the advancement of conflict resolution.
[1] Russian News Agency [2] Ukrainian News Agency [3] BBC News [4] CNN [5] The Guardian
- The proposal by Volodymyr Medinsky, aimed at addressing political, military, and humanitarian issues related to war-and-conflicts in Ukraine through online working groups, has been put forward for consideration by the Ukrainian government.
- Amid the ongoing negotiations over the Ukrainian conflict, several global news outlets, including BBC News, CNN, The Guardian, and respective Russian and Ukrainian News Agencies, are closely monitoring the progress of the online working groups aimed at facilitating discussions in the areas of politics, military matters, and humanitarian concerns.
