Zelensky announces fresh Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday

Russia and Ukraine will hold a new round of peace talks in Istanbul on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Monday.

Zelensky said in his nightly address that he and National Security and Defence Council Secretary Rustem Umerov had discussed a prisoner exchange with Russia and another meeting in Türkiye with the Russian delegation.

Umerov, who served as Ukraine’s defence minister until a government reshuffle last week, headed Kyiv’s delegation in the previous two rounds of negotiations with Russia in Istanbul in May and June.

At a meeting with the heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions earlier on Monday, Zelensky said that Kyiv’s priorities in the fresh talks would be “the return of prisoners of war, the return of children abducted by Russia, as well as the preparation for a meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, as “truly effective talks can only take place at the level of national leaders”.

Zelensky has previously voiced his frustration at the “low level” of the Russian delegation, led by presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky, during the first two rounds of negotiations, arguing that “none of them are people who actually make decisions in Russia” and calling on Putin to meet with him personally.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Monday that Russia’s delegation would be unchanged for the upcoming talks, which Russian state news agency TASS reported would take place on Thursday and Friday.

He also played down the chances of a breakthrough on any peace deal with Ukraine, stressing that Moscow and Kyiv’s positions on a settlement were “diametrically opposed” and that “a lot of diplomatic work” would be required to make progress.

Following the last round of talks, Russia presented a draft memorandum demanding Ukraine agree to punishing peace terms, including the withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from Russian-occupied regions and their international recognition as part of Russia, limits on the size of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a commitment from Kyiv to remain “neutral” by renouncing its bid to join NATO.

Ukraine, meanwhile, seeks an immediate ceasefire and the return of all prisoners of war and children forcibly removed by Russia, as well as “no restrictions on its military strength after any peace deal, no international recognition of Russian sovereignty over parts of Ukraine taken by Moscow’s forces, and reparations” as terms for ending the war.