Kremlin braces for “tough” talks with Ukraine amid Istanbul summit
Russia escalates attacks on Ukrainian towns as talks in Istanbul loom
Russia has ramped up strikes on Ukrainian cities over the last weeks, driving up pressure as delegates from both sides prepare for a meeting in Istanbul later this Wednesday.
Expectations for the Istanbul talks
- Russian officials forecast a challenging dialogue, with Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov describing the meeting as “very difficult”.
- Delegations have already departed for Istanbul, where talks are slated to begin in the evening.
- Previous Istanbul sessions in May and June yielded only prisoner exchanges and the return of soldiers’ bodies.
U.S. pressure on Russia
U.S. President Donald Trump last week granted Russia “50 days” to end the war, threatening sanctions if a deal is not reached by September. The Kremlin has not signaled a willingness to alter its demands.
Key points for Ukraine and Russia
- Russia demands Ukrainian forces withdraw from the four regions it claims to have annexed in September 2022, a demand Kyiv rejects.
- Ukraine insists on a ceasefire before any territorial negotiations and refuses to recognize Russia’s claims over occupied areas, including Crimea.
- Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, devastating large swaths of eastern and southern Ukraine and killing tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.
Delegation leadership
Ukraine’s delegation will be led by former defense minister Rustem Umerov, now serving as security council secretary. Russia will send political scientist Vladimir Medinsky to head its negotiation team. Medinsky, who previously led the Russian team in past talks, is not seen as a decisive decision maker, with Ukraine describing him as a puppet.
Recent negotiation outcomes
During the last talks on May 16 and June 2, both sides agreed to large-scale prisoner exchanges and exchanged draft terms for ending the conflict. The Kremlin stated that the terms were “diametrically opposed.”
White House intensifies efforts
Trump announced last week that Russia must strike a peace deal with Ukraine by September or face bruising sanctions. The U.S. leader has been attempting to broker an end to the war since his inauguration in January but has not extracted any concessions from the Kremlin, despite repeated phone calls with Putin.
Russia’s latest military actions
- Between late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia fired 71 drones at four different Ukrainian regions, according to the Ukrainian air force.
- The Russian defense ministry reported that it captured the village of Varachyne in Ukraine’s northern Sumy region.
Turkish position
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month called on both sides not to “shut the door” on dialogue.
