More than three years into Europe’s deadliest war since 1945, Ukraine and Russia have held their first face-to-face talks since March 2022 — but the high-stakes meeting in Istanbul ended without progress on a ceasefire.

Delegations from both nations convened on Friday at a historic Ottoman-era palace on the Bosphorus, with pressure from the United States and Turkey helping to bring the warring parties to the table. Despite the formal setting, tensions were evident: there were no handshakes, and several members of Ukraine’s delegation wore camouflage to underscore the ongoing invasion of their country.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, urged both sides to choose the path of peace over further destruction. But the discussions, lasting under two hours, quickly revealed the gulf between the parties.

According to a Ukrainian official, Russia issued “new and unacceptable demands”, including insisting that Kyiv withdraw from parts of its own sovereign territory as a condition for a ceasefire.

While no agreement was reached on halting hostilities, both sides did agree to a mutual exchange of 1,000 prisoners of war — a move welcomed by Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Serhiy Kyslytsya, as “potentially excellent news for 1,000 Ukrainian families.”

Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Rustem Umerov, said the next step should be a meeting between President Zelensky and President Putin — a request acknowledged, but not confirmed, by Russia’s delegation lead, Vladimir Medinsky.

Despite describing the session as productive, scepticism remains high. Kyiv and its Western allies fear Moscow may be using the talks as a stalling tactic, especially with the European Union preparing an 18th round of sanctions.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump declared that “nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together,” signalling his intention to take direct control of the peace process, though the timing of such a summit remains unclear.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said preparations for a top-level meeting would take time, but confirmed that high-level talks were “certainly needed”. There is little indication, however, that President Zelensky would be invited.

The meeting, while symbolically significant, has done little to shift the diplomatic stalemate — with Russia’s territorial demands viewed in Kyiv as non-starters. The war continues to grind on, with hopes for peace still distant despite renewed contact.

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