Russia persists in their demand for negotiations between Putin and Zelensky
Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have made some progress, but a ceasefire remains elusive. The latest round of discussions took place in Istanbul on July 23, with both sides agreeing to additional humanitarian prisoner exchanges.
The Ukrainian delegation, headed by Rustem Umerov, the chairman of the Ukrainian National Security Council, proposed a meeting by the end of August between the presidents of Ukraine and Russia, with the presidents of Turkey and the United States in attendance. However, the Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky, a special representative and assistant to Russian President Vladimir Putin, has stated that substantial progress in negotiations must occur before Putin and Zelenskyy can meet.
The Ukrainian memorandum for the talks insists on a complete and unconditional ceasefire on land, sea, and air, demands security guarantees from the international community, and opposes international recognition of territories lost by the country since 2014 by Russia. In contrast, the Russian delegation has proposed brief ceasefires (24-48 hours) along the contact line to retrieve the wounded and bodies of combatants. However, these proposals have not resulted in a consensus on a ceasefire.
Ukraine agreed to an immediate, unconditional ceasefire back in March, but Russia has effectively rejected this unless Ukraine makes significant concessions such as withdrawing from occupied territories (Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts) or fully halting military activities and demobilizing troops, as well as the West stopping military aid to Ukraine. These conditions remain unacceptable to Kyiv, and the two sides remain far apart on ceasefire terms.
Russia has already returned over 7,000 bodies of the deceased to the Ukrainian side and offered to hand over another 3,000 bodies of Ukrainian servicemen. An exchange of at least 1,200 prisoners of war will take place in the near future.
Despite official claims by Putin of openness to peace talks, military actions continue on the ground, with Russia advancing in some areas while both sides accuse each other of stalling negotiations. This makes a near-term peace agreement appear difficult.
In a statement on June 18 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Putin urged Ukraine to sit down at the negotiating table as soon as possible, suggesting that the conditions for peace may deteriorate if it does not. However, as of early August 2025, peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have made limited progress, with a ceasefire remaining the most significant obstacle to a comprehensive peace agreement.
[1] Russian News Agency Report 1 [2] Russian News Agency Report 2 [3] International News Report [4] Ukrainian News Agency Report
- Russian News Agency Report 1: "War-and-conflicts" and "politics" continue to dominate the headlines as peace talks between Russia and Ukraine stall, with discussions over a ceasefire proving elusive.
- Ukrainian News Agency Report: The latest round of peace talks, held in Istanbul, have seen the Ukrainian delegation proposing a meeting between presidents by end-August along with broader 'general-news' topics such as security guarantees from the international community and oppositions to the recognition of lost territories.
